About

Welcome to my website, which shows the variety of art I have chosen to do, much of which is based on my use of local rock pigments and colours from plants.

This interest in pigments started when researching my subject – an eroding hillside, and I realised the colours revealed could be used to make paint. I followed my intuition at first, knowing the art of Richard Long who in the UK used Avon River mud on gallery walls. I crushed and heated the clay and mixed with water and even acrylic primal, and applied to paper and canvas. Eventually I was laying the clay over the studio wall. It was during the next years study that I investigated watercolour binders for the rock colours.

Having worked at setting up and running a certified organic orchard in Paparimu near Hunua, south of Auckland, sustainability and environmental concern played a big part in my choice to use local rock and plant pigments. While I find rock beside road cuttings and on rivers and beaches, I feel quite aware that this is not a never-ending resource. You only need a small pebble, size of a walnut shell, and a tablespoon of ground pigment to give a few years supply of watercolour paint. Even the binder ingredients can be sourced in New Zealand. I notice the rain transporting the coloured clays down to the rivers and the sea. Here in Canterbury, the rocks continually coming down the braided rivers are necessary to prevent the erosion of the land by the sea.

Volcanic clays, Banks Peninsula

Canterbury pigments provided me with a method of discovering more about the topography, landscape and history of an area that I had only previously known as a visitor.

Locally-found pigments obviously speak about place, however, what they show is not so immediately apparent to the casual observer. Most of the colours are underground and only revealed by the natural forces, erosion or when roadworks cut through the land’s surface.

While the artworks speak about place, they also demonstrate the distinctive qualities of these local pigments. Natural earth pigments, because they are unrefined, make a paint that is full of texture and colour variation which is unique to the place of origin. The colours within a rock emerge during the grinding process, yielding a colour that has a brilliance and a character all of its own.

Above; Motunau rock layers

Below; Loess, shown here near Banks Peninsula. This is rock that covers the land, accumulating over the millennia, from windblown particles of rock dust. It can erode in fascinating ways.

In researching the topography and history of the Canterbury landscape, I was intrigued by the imagery suggested by lines imposed on land. This is shown concretely, as roads, railways, fence lines, shelter belts, drains, canals. It is shown abstractly as partition lines drawn up on a map and the blocks and grids denoting divisions or boundaries of town or country. This imagery became the basis for the development of my earth pigment paintings.

Gallery

Selection of work including paintings, bookbinding, printmaking, paint tests.

Imaginative florals in ochres and charcoal paints

Various local pigments, on paper, book cloth and a print.

Bio

Celia Wilson

Artist

Biography

2004 – 2007 Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland. Bachelor of Fine Arts

2008 School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. BFA Honours (Painting)

New Zealand citizen by descent, permanently living in New Zealand from 1986, after many years moving between the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Since 2007 I have been researching the availability and the historical and current uses of earth, mineral and plant pigments in New Zealand, mainly those of Canterbury, Banks Peninsula, Hurunui, and Otago, with the cataloguing and recording of colours being the methodology. These colours I use through painting, printing, book binding, and papermaking with the intention of showing pigments as colours found at a location.

With my pigments I usually make watercolour paint with gum arabic and honey as the main binder ingredients. I also use colours obtained from plants – roots, leaves and flowers – from gardens in Oxford. I have experimented with sustainable colour via solar dyeing and the steam printing of plant colour on to paper (‘ecoprinting’).

I find the watercolour medium brings out the characteristics of the rock pigment particles – some are opaque, some are transparent – and, as the pigment is unrefined, there are often hidden colours which can be revealed as the particles diffuse and settle into place on the paper.

In hand-ground paint the larger and irregular particles, plus the additional minerals or chemical substances embedded at molecular level, have the effect of reflecting a wider part of the spectrum. It has been shown that this creates a more intense colour than a synthetic colour which reflects a narrower part of the spectrum. The use of natural plant dyes is an eco-friendly practice, the dyes are safe for body contact, while the colours are beautifully unsophisticated and harmonised with nature. The uniqueness of each batch of colour is also a characteristic I value.

My interest in nature stems from a curiosity of how land is formed, and how humanity has changed both the land and its biota. A practical involvement with the land in Paparimu, near Hunua, (since 1989) has included the design, establishment and running of a certified organic orchard for ten years until 2007. I am now living in Oxford, North Canterbury and volunteer at the Arts in Oxford Gallery helping with exhibition installation.

Selected exhibitions and workshops

2020 Christchurch City Art Gallery, Paint Making Workshop for Adults, 26 October

Open House, on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays between 17 July to 13 September, Arts in Oxford Gallery. Seven printmakers working in the gallery’s main exhibition space to encourage and provide broader connections between artists/creatives and communities. This to be achieved by inviting visitors to view and discuss works in progress with the artists, watch demonstrations of techniques, and inviting other artists to attend and join-in on a casual basis. Printmakers are Kathy Anderson, Jo Ernsten, Casey Macaulay, Ruth Stanton McLeod, Kris Waldin, Tessa Warburton, Celia Wilson.

2019 Canterbury Colours Workshops for Adults and Children, Turanga, Christchurch City Library, 13 January

Oxford Papermaking Group, showcase exhibition of handmade paper and how it can be used, 27 July to 11 August, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

2018 Locality, group exhibition exploring location, materiality & positioning with Mark Adams, Tony Bond, Mike Boot, Cheryl Lucas, Elfi Spiewack and Tessa Warburton. 9 June – 10 July, Arts in Oxford.

Paintmaking Workshop, 23 June, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

2017 From the Rivers to the Shore, 10 June – 18 July, group exhibition curated by Celia Walker, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

#TheFlockWorkshops, in connection with BRaid, 30 May – 16 June.

Sanctuary, group exhibition for Artists Against Slavery, Arts in Oxford Gallery, 28 October – 29 November.

2016 Accumulative, group show with Ruth Killoran, Ruth McLeod, Rachel McRobb and Kris Waldin, Arts in Oxford Gallery, 8 October – 2 November.

Paintmaking Workshop, 23 October, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

2015 Kidsfest, Artists Book Cover and Bookmaking Workshop with Tessa Warburton on 15 and 16 July, Arts In Oxford Gallery.

Hot Off the Press, group printmaking exhibition with Gaby Reade, Heather Maxwell, Ruth Stanton McLeod and Sue Alexander, July/August, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

Paintmaking Workshop, 1 November, 2015, Arts in Oxford Gallery.

2014 Kidsfest, 5 – 23 July, 2014. Paint making Workshop on 15 July. Arts in Oxford Gallery.

2013 Colours from a Landscape. Solo exhibition. Dunedin Botanic Gardens, in association with The Blue Oyster Gallery, Dunedin.

2012 Colour of Distance. Group exhibition with Helga Goran, Kim Lowe, Jocelyn Mills and Cristina Silaghi. Papakura Art Gallery. 3 March to 7 April, 2012.

Sense of Place. Group exhibition with Helga Goran, Kim Lowe and Cristina Silaghi. Hastings City Art Gallery. 28 July to 9 September, 2012.

Land | Scape. Group exhibition curated by Tracey Williams. Papakura Art Gallery.

2010 Colours from the Earth. Solo exhibition. The Chamber Gallery, Rangiora, 2 May to 2 June.

Forms of Attention. Group exhibition with Helga Goran, Kim Lowe and Cristina Silaghi. The Arts in

Oxford Gallery, Oxford. 24 October to 21 November, 2010.

2008 Postgraduate Conference, 10 October, 2008, School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury.

Presented Out of the Ground, a talk on my use of Canterbury pigments and their place in my artworks.

Publications

“Studio Work”, Oculus, Postgraduate Journal for Visual Arts Research, University of Canterbury Department of Art History and Theory, 1, (2009): 56-57.

Forms of Attention. Catalogue to accompany exhibition at Arts in Oxford Gallery, 2010.

Colour of Distance. Catalogue to accompany exhibition at Papakura Art Gallery, 2012.

Experiencing Distance: Creative Explorations. Contribution to educational supplement to exhibition Papakura Art Gallery, 2012.

Sense of Place: Distances: Passages, Conjunctions. Catalogue to accompany exhibition at Hastings City Art Gallery, 2012.

Fragile Paths, Proximities and Distancesin “Dwelling and Sharing: Places in Experience”. Educational supplement to Sense of Placeexhibition Hastings City Art Gallery, 2012.

Tessa Laird, From the I-Land.Publication to accompany the group exhibition LAND| SCAPE, Papakura Art Gallery, curated by Tracey Williams, 2012.

“Canterbury Colours”, Turkey Red Journal, Vol 22, Issue 2, Spring 2018

Collections

The James Wallace Arts Trust <www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz>

Private collections in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and China.

Plant fossil in rock

By: Celia Wilson 20 June, 201920 June, 2019

UncategorizedFossils, geology, Motunau, NZ plant fossils, plant fossils2 Comments

Plant fossil in rock from Motunau beach. Another image below.

Can anyone help me identify this plant fossil visible on the surface of this rock? Research has not helped. I am just curious as to what the plant may be and which geological era it comes from. It would be great to find out!

The rock has been in my studio and unfortunately was splashed with ink and paint, so ignore the grey and yellow marks – the fossil appears in the pale grey markings. One of the leaves (?) bottom left is quite visible.

I brought the rock home as I was interested in the sea creature holes on the other side, and only later noticed the markings when I tried to remove the grey circles and the yellow stain.

The rock comes from Motunau beach north of Christchurch, and I attach some information from a really useful book for the uninitiated about the geology of the area which comes from the “Field Guide to NZ Geology” by Jocelyn Thornton.

Another image of the rock, adjusted to increase visibility of the fossil

14 Day Challenge

By: Celia Wilson 9 June, 20199 June, 2019

Handmade paint, Organic paints, Pigments, Uncategorized#Fearlessartchallenge, SkillshareLeave a Comment

Being pushed to take risks is one way to new creativity. I am enjoying this Skillshare class “Fearless Art Challenge” by Marie-Noelle Wurm.

This image using oil pastels (which defeated me badly in the past) was again attempted in the two day prompt – Metamorphosis I and II – for days 5 and 6.

Most recently this has been my attempt at Day 8’s “Colours and More Colours”. I used my own handmade paint – Indigo from pigment powder, a local rock pigment powder that was rubbed on to the paper, and Okains Bay watercolour paint.

Love the streak of indigo in the brown pigment.

Day 9 coming up…

Printing with a Cork

By: Celia Wilson 12 May, 2019

Gouache, printmaking, Printscork prints, Gouache, sketchbookLeave a Comment

Using up gouache paint remaining on the palette by painting the end of a cork – which makes a good print. Bit of fun in a new small sketchbook.

Autumn Garden Colours

By: Celia Wilson 5 May, 2019

botanical paintings, Garden plants, Gouache, Spray Free, Watercolour paintGouache, Illustration, SkillshareLeave a Comment

Autumn is such a colourful time, and especially so when some of the summer flowers are still blooming.

Was really caught up in some artwork based on the plants in the autumn garden.

I recently completed a Skillshare class by illustrator Sara Boccaccini Meadows – and this was the result. My painting is in gouache with a touch of ‘Ultramarine Deep’ watercolour to highlight the delphiniums. I have not really used gouache before, but discovered for me that using it is an interesting cross between oil paint and watercolour – you can layer on top of dry paint and also mix the colours together on the paper.

Catching Up

By: Celia Wilson 4 April, 201919 July, 2020

Ceramics, Organic paints, Paint making workshops, Pigments, Pottery, Watercolour paintMt Oxford, North Canterbury2 Comments

Have not had the time to post much in the past couple of years. So here goes…

Clay, in one form or another seems to keep popping up in my artworks.

Here I was getting ready for the Turanga library workshops in January. Some of the tools of the trade, including at the top right my first muller in 2007 – a stone with one flat side to it. You can still see the colour of the last pigment that was ground with it – it worked ok, but you can get a finer powder using the glass muller to finish the process. I used a concrete tile as the grinding base. I now use a stone pestle and mortar to initially grind the shattered rock or clay. Making paint is the art process I seem to want to return to. To see what colour will appear during the printmaking process.

Pot and vessel shapes are another obsession. I like the quirkiness of painting images of ceramic pots in my clay-based paints.

But I do also use ‘ordinary paint’ – see what happens when I follow one of Peggy Dean’s Skillshare classes! (‘Discover your creative style’.)

But there’s more… like actually making ceramic objects which I have been doing over the past year with Ruth Stanton McLeod’s guidance. It is a tray, not a pot this time however.

A few objects in front of Janie Porter’s landscape painting: My daughter’s papier maché bird; a horse’s leather shoe (used in Victorian times to protect the grass when grass cutting being done, so I was told); pebbles and a slice of rock; an art nouveau pewter pot; and one of my first ceramic pots. On the left is more Oxford chalk and clay watercolour on board.

Below is a rock (kindly given to me and collected by my dear friend June Inch) from near the top of Mt Oxford – and the paint. The colour comes through as a little too green in the photograph, and I’ve tried to correct it …

Finally, here is a ceramic-watercolour combo: one of my pottery efforts – works great!

Making Paint at Turanga – Christchurch City Libraries

By: Celia Wilson 7 January, 20197 January, 2019

Paint making workshops, Pigments, Uncategorizedart, environment, geology, nature, pigmentsLeave a Comment

I am super excited to be showing how to make paint at the Turanga library next Sunday 13 January.

There will be a demonstration in the morning for children, and the workshop for adults in the afternoon.

Screen Shot 2019-01-07 at 9.23.05 AM.png

LOCALity

I took part in this exhibition, and showed some of my paintings made with ink from empty seed pods from Harakeke (NZ flax plant). I also held a paintmaking workshop.

Here is the published information:

Last days for the exhibition LOCALity at Arts in Oxford, 72 Main St, Oxford. Exhibition closes Tues 10 July 2018.

LOCALity: a group exhibition exploring location, materiality & positioning

Arts in Oxford is pleased to present a selection of artworks by Canterbury artists Mark Adams, Mike Boot, Tony Bond, Cheryl Lucas, Elfi Spiewack, Tessa Warburton and Celia Wilson.

Artists each have diverse, unique practices but collectively are themes of rural life that connect all the works. Local geology, farming industry, water issues, native and introduced flora, recycling, repurposing are all reflected in this curated exhibition.

Images by Arts In Oxford.

2018-05-24 03.00.16-1 2018-05-24 03.02.34-1 2018-05-24 03.11.27-1

(You can just see my artworks on the wall in this photo above.)

Press Release:

Art_in_Oxford_LOCALity_Press Release_final-1

LOCALITY JUNE-JULY

Printmaking Workshop

By: Celia Wilson 23 June, 201823 June, 2018

Arts in Oxford Gallery, Organic paints, Paint making workshops, Pigments, Uncategorized, Watercolour paintart, pigments, works on paperLeave a Comment

Colours of Canterbury and other places, made at this morning’s printmaking workshop at Arts in Oxford Gallery. Many thanks to Jo who made these lovely paints.

Paintmaking Workshop

By: Celia Wilson 11 June, 201811 June, 2018

Arts in Oxford Gallery, Exhibitions, Paint making workshops, Pigments, Uncategorized, Watercolour paintart, artist's paint, earth pigments, Exhibitions, pigments, walnut inkLeave a Comment

I am holding a paintmaking workshop on Saturday 23rd June. If you are interested please book at the gallery to reserve a place.

We are also holding two other workshops to accompany the exhibition LOCALity now on show at Arts in Oxford, North Canterbury.

Locality workshops square

Seeds, hips and twigs

By: Celia Wilson 12 February, 201812 February, 2018

botanical paintings, Uncategorized, Watercolour paintart, environment, nature, nature sketching, plantsLeave a Comment

I completed a Skillshare course on botanical sketching by Laura Ashton, and was really pleased to get a few tips that really helped! So pleased to find a use for some of my dried plant material.