New and elegant Fine Art Oil Painting available now by Tara Spicer

NIRVANA VISIONS by Tara Spicer

New and elegant Fine Art Oil Painting available now by Tara Spicer. A magical work incorporating a dash of circus fever, a mild obsession with tea cups as well as a strong under current of spiritual symbolism! And just what exactly is this particular Contemporary Australian artwork about?... The artist explains... "The idea for this new painting came to me as I was heading off to yoga one morning, taking just a little respite from from the ongoing joys and tribulations of day to day parenting. My thoughts were meandering around the fact that my little girl would just rather be with me, than without, and the troubles that she has had to endure so far on her  journey through this life and I was toying with the idea, that if I were the creator of this world, I would make it so that she would never have to fall, no matter how high she climbed, and that there would be plenty of time for tea and conversations and laughter and light... that she would realise that this life is just a show, that we are all on show, and that we can make this world as magical as we might desire! Of course there is merrit in having fallen and climbed back up, and most people feel totally alone at one point or another no matter how many friends might be in the room... and there seems to be not much time at all for tea and laughter and light, but all of this helps to create the beautiful well rounded person that we grow into..." 

Stacking It Up by Tara Spicer
Original Oil on Gallery Linen Fine Art Painting
150 x 100 x 3 cm.
POA

For queries regarding the purchase of this painting, please contact the artist,.

Fine Art Prints are also now available through Nirvana Visions, so if you have a favorite painting that you have seen previously and would still like a beautifully created 'Print to Canvas' copy of the work to adorn your walls or as a gift, you can purchase it now!
Check out the full range of prints now available!

  

Now is a great time to order in time for Christmas! Even some unique and arty cards for Christmas gifts... hmmmm!

Next on the easel is a commissioned work of a nude, standing in a bath tub... stay tuned for this one! Painted directly onto wood panel with oil paints, rich in burgundy  gold and black, it is sure to be a luxurious and decadent piece to grace the walls of its' new home when completed.

FIND ME: www.taraspicer.nirvanavisions.org

MAIL ME: tara@nirvanavisions.org

CALL ME: 0417231350

FOLLOW ME: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nirvana-Visions-by-Tara-Spicer/260338204727

Photo Book

Hello Art Lovers,
Firstly, please allow me to apologize for the abruptness of the earlier blog / mail, as in creating my beautiful new coffee table art book, I used a new company 'Shutterfly" who offer fabulous options for book-making, but not so fabulous options for editing your blog before they send it out!

For those of you who receive this Nirvana Visions blog via email, you may have received an even more boring announcement that did not even open the link!!

So let me start again and with much more gusto:

Introducing my newest baby... my much loved, colorful, creative, inspiring and carefully collaborated "Nirvana Visions 2012 Coffee Table book". This book is beautiful. This book is filled with original, select artworks from my latest collection of works as well as snippets of my own creative journey. This book will make a glamorous addition to your hand picked range of glossy picture books to browse through over a pot of freshly brewed tea on a Sunday morning.

If you fell in love with a painting of mine over the last 12 months and missed out on purchasing it... you will probably find it here!

This 30 page book can be purchased at just $39.99 and will be a treasured part of your collection for years to come.

If you would like a copy of this book signed by the artist, please contact me personally and I can make the necessary arrangements.

Just bellow you will find a preview of "Nirvana Visions 2012", if not, please follow the link directly below to take you to my blog where this preview can be viewed :-)

http://taraspicer.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/photo-book.html

Click here to view this photo book larger

Warm regards,
Tara Spicer

www.taraspicer.nirvanavisions.org

Beautiful gift cards to your door!

Hi all,

Welcome to the latest news here fresh off the easel at Nirvana Visions by Tara Spicer :-)

    

Your favorite painting might now be available as a gift card or a print from just $5.65, shipped directly to your door! Click on the link below to be taken directly to the beautiful works now available:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nirvana-Visions-by-Tara-Spicer/260338204727?sk=app_309028460694

Online workshop:
I am working very hard to deliver a fun and informative online workshop for those who are interested in learning some of my techniques and 'how to' strategies. there are the usual setbacks of kids with fevers, dirty laundry and floors to be scrubbed (oh why does the placenta not come out as as personal assistant per child?) But it will be all worth it and I know that everyone is really excited about the release of these videos, so please stay tuned it shouldn't be too long now...

So for now... for me it is back to a day of nursing sick kids with a dash of art here and there while they rest, I shall see what I can sneak in to the day.

I hope that you enjoy my new online store and spread the magic through your house and your friendships :-)

Warm Regards,
Tara Spier
PH:0417231350
www.taraspicer.nirvanavisions.org

Painting release and workshop announcement

Sing Me a Song of the Circus was finally finished today... available as the original Oil Painting on Gallery Cotton...

Sing Me a Song of the Circus
40 x 30 x 1inches
$1200

Please contact me if you would like to purchase this beautiful painting directly.

Also available as a Canvas Print starting at just $80.00! I know a few buyers out there who won't be able to refuse this offer :-)

NEW HOW TO VIDEO coming next. Please contact me if you would like to learn how to create a whimsical work similar to this one in acrylic, oil paint and charcoal... I will be releasing this how to video soon and will be offering "lovetiques" of the works that you create :-)

And I would like to offer a massive THANKYOU to Highly Strung for donating a Gallery Canvas to Nirvana Visions by Tara Spicer, for the work created for this years' Give Me 5 For Kids annual art auction.

These guys rock when it comes to art supplies :-)

Yours in Art,
Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions by Tara Spicer
tara@nirvanavisions.org

Painting Progress and studio overhaul!

"Sing me a song of the circus" is coming along slowly but surely and I am really enjoying how beautifully she is turning out. This painting makes me really happy even in its' unfinished state!

The little bird came out so sweet and enchanting, the perfect bird for setting such a scene. If you have a free spirited love of the Circus, please take a glimpse at other Circus themed paintings that I have created... most of them have sold, but I am always more than happy to create works of a similar nature if you have a favourite... and I can always arrange a print to canvas if you desire!

My studio is undergoing a massive clean up and overhaul at persent and I recently picked up this new cupboard (which just refused to be posted upright!!!) and it is as I write this being sanded, sprayed and spiffied right up to become my new art storage cupboard. Yippee. Wait till you see the transformation.

Finally, a sweet scented thankyou to Amanda at Flax Flower for the beautiful flowers that she provided me with this week to keep my house beautiful and smelling great...

Roses and Jonquils with a clean white linen feel and a pretty red and white ribbon. Fresh flowers really lift one's spirits, don't you think?

Thanks for reading,
Tara Spicer.

Sing me a song of the circus...

For those of you who know me, you will know that I am a little obsessed with the magic of the circus!... And this obsession has been fueled further by an incredible book that I recently read "The Night Circus" . I am re-kindling my love of Fire Stick Twirling and trapeze too, doing a practice session each week, hopefully to light up the ends soon for a mini performance for my kids :-)

This passion has seeped into my paintings as well... here is my latest work in progress, titled "Sing me a circus song". I hope that you do enjoy watching it grow:

This painting is still in the making, but if you want to know more details, it is an oil painting on Gallery Cotton, measuring 40 x 30 inches.

Other circus works that I have previously painted are:

A Little Bit of Mischief and a little Bit of MagicAcrylic on Gallery LinenFramed in Silver Frame$3400.00

SOLDAvailable as a print to canvas upon request!

SOLDAvailable as a print to canvas upon request!

So roll up, ROLL UP and dive into the magic of the circus be it one of these beautiful works to grace your walls and inspire your heart... or your own dabbling into a local circus class... it is good for the soul :-)

Warm Regards,

Tara Spicer.

Flaming Elise

With a little bit here and a little bit there to go, I think she is pretty much ready and with just a few hours to spare too!
I humbly introduce my "Flaming Elise" and I am hoping that since a Lady Beetle landed on me while I was photographing her, that this might be a good sign that I have done well and she is ready.

Flaming Elise
1m x 1m
Acrylic, Charcoal and Oils on Gallery Linen
DONATION
-For live auction at next month's "Give Me 5 For Kids" Sunshine Coast
Please contact me if you would like to bid by phone on the night.

A huge thanks to Elise for 'sitting' (quite literally) for me so that I could do this painting.
Please also check out my new website and pass it on if you have a moment or are just curious...
Tara Spicer

Flaming Elise

Hello and welcome!

Inspired by Sir Frederick Leighton's 1895 painting "Flaming June" I am currently working on a piece to be donated to Give Me 5 for Kids 2012 to help raise funds for the Children's wing of Nambour Hospital. I donate to this cause every year and get very excited about the funds I can raise towards this cause!

So here is the original piece "Flaming June"

I am going to title my own interpretation of this painting as "Flaming Elise" as this is the name of the beautiful young lady featured in my own painting. So the following images are progression pics of the painting in the making:
Initial sketching phase:

Progressed sketching phase with a small introduction of paint:

Further painting in the figure and the cloth surrounding the figure:

I am a little anxious about showing my works unfinished, I hope that you enjoy watching the 'journey'.

More images will be posted and the auction date will be June 21st... The auction will be held on the Sunshine Coast and phone bids will be accepted. I will be posting updates as the piece progresses and as the auction date draws near.

In other news, I have a new website www.taraspicer.nirvanavisions.org so if you are curious, I welcome you to visit this new refined site for what it has to offer to you :-) Soon, through this website I will be offering a shopping cart to purchase original works as well as a catalogue of books that I have had a hand in Illustrating or co-creating...

Warm Regards,
Tara Spicer

Charcoal Painting

Yay! Here is a pic of the finished Charcoal Based painting. I am really really happy with it and I am going to do a matching painting of a certain young man to go with this one. I am going to try a few different techniques on the next one and will post images of it in the making too here on my blog.

In other news, I have begun creating my piece for this years' "Give me 5 For Kids" and am very excited to post updates... I am hoping to raise lots of money through my painting again this year at the Annual Art Auction, so be sure to spread the pics around to people who might be interested in bidding on this painting as it is created and finally auctioned... more awareness = more money raised, so get those tongues wagging and be sure to spread these posts around :-)

Warm Regards,
Tara Spicer

Sketching passions!

Thankyou so much to Yanni Floros, who held a workshop through Lethbridge Gallery, that I was able to attend on the weekend. Yanni guided a number of us step by step through working with charcoal... here is as far as I got (obviously there is much to go!).

So I came home afterwards and just had to try out what I had learned on canvas from one of my own images:

Part 1, my sketch with graphite.

Part 2, incorporating new skills and charcoal as learnt with Yanni.

I am now testing out the success of painting on over this beautiful sketch (nerve wracking!) Waiting for the clear gesso to dry... will post the results. The gesso still dragged the charcoal a little in areas and the spray fixative bunched up in places, might have to try diluting the gesso with water and see how that goes?

Tara Spicer.

Portrait of Magic framed!

Oh wow, I am so excited, I finally got the call to go in and pick up "A Little Bit of mischief and a little Bit of Magic" from Highly Strung, our framers at Eumundi!

I can't tell you how amazing this 1m x 1m painting looks in person... it is simply looks breathtaking!

Having entered this painting, along with two other recent works, into the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, I am still waiting to hear if it has been accepted or not. Finalists are announced at the end of April, so i will keep you posted.

This painting is available for investment at $3200.

Work on this years donation piece to Give Me 5 For Kids has begun and I will be posting its' progress here in due time :-)

For queries, please contact me here.

Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions.

Fine Tuning

Ok, so a little more tweaking occured before the final varnishing... I wonder if you can see the difference?

She will soon be on display at Gallery Beneath at Mooloolaba. I welcome you to take a peak in this beautiful gallery if you are nearby and of course you can invest in this beautiful piece through my website if you are currently far far far away from the Sunshine Coast.

I am celebrating today with an empty workspace and I will be getting started on the next piece after teaching a class of fabulous budding artists tonight.

Warm Regards,
Tara Spicer.

A little bit of mischief...

Oh my gosh!... I have finally finished. My eyes are spinning and I am not entirely sure if I ate at all today, but I have finished my latest piece after around 3 months of work:

A little bit of mischief and a little bit of magic!
100cm x 100cm x 3.5cm
Acrylic on Gallery Cotton

I have titled this work "A little bit of mischief and a little bit of magic" as this pretty much sums up my beautiful daughter and muse featured in this piece. I truly love this painting and am in two minds about whether to put it up for sale or not, even though I do already have a potential buyer!

Jump right in and contact me if you are keen as this one is going to go pretty fast if I decide to sell. I am also considering framing it in a beautiful silver frame that matches the one in the centre back of the painting, I think it would look incredible.

So, what now? I am going to pull my head back out of the palette, curl up on the lounge and indulge in some relaxing TV for the evening, do a bit of crochet and breathe a deep sigh of relief!

Next painting... well you will just have to wait and see...

Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions

Rain Rain...

Rain rain, go away... my varnish will not dry today! Or this whole week!!! No, the Sunshine Coast is not particularly sunny this week and it is setting me back a little... all my beautiful layers of paint are smudgy and smoodgy and my varnish is not setting! It must be time for a break. At least I finished 1 order in time, although I am still waiting for its' varnish to cure properly before shipping:

Surfer Girl. Commissioned re-paint.

I have also recently quit sugar... I am only at the end of week 2 using a program by Sarah Wilson and it is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be! But all for a great cause... you know, a healthy body, a clear mind and no mid-afternoon energy slump, wish me luck to get to the end of week 8.

For now, I will return to the easel and give my hairdryer a workout (it dries more paintings than hair in this house!).

Warm Regards,
Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions

New Magic works!

Welcometo Nirvana Visions... my studio has been a buzz of activity with 3 paintings on the go and two more in the line up waiting to happen! First off the block is;

Always Take Your Magic With You
1002 x 760 x 35mm

I am really thrilled with this painting and the warmth that it captures in contrast with the cold hard road! As you can see, i am still well andtruly taken with the world of magic, gypsy and circus and this painting is just another reminder to pack all your essential for your journey... a good sense of humour, a dash of magic and a bottle of luck. Never underestimate the power of being able to pull a rabbit from your hat when your journey takes an unexected turn!

Still in the making is another magical moment and here is a small glimpse of a portion of that painting:

Where would I be without top hats, beautiful people and luxurious silk fabrics to paint?  I hope that these thing bring as much delight to your senses as they do mine.

Please contact me if you would like more info on any of these paintings...
tara@nirvanavisions.org

Warm regards,
Tara Spicer

Finally, Better Off!

It's been hanging around on my easel so long being refined, and refined and tweaked and adored... that I can literally not believe that this painting is finally finished!

So without further ado:

Titled: Better Off
1000mm x 1000mm x 32mm
Acrylic on Gallery Cotton
$1800.00

Featuring many of my favourite themes, pretty tea cups, a woman in a white dress, vintage luggage, the Australian Desert, Royal Red circus curtains, these things make me so happy :-) I am not sure if her ship is coming in, and if so, if it was the ship that she was after, or if it is just dropping off the rest of her luggage! This beautiful piece will mean different things to different people and I look forward to hearing your comments.

She is on her way to Gallery Beneath at Mooloolaba where she will be available for investment.

Otherwise, it has been awfully good painting weather here, with the rain pelting down continuously, being outdoors seems a little un-enticing. the rain did clear momentarily this morning allowing me to do a little photography in preperation for my next piece which I am so incredibly excited about. I have been keeping my daughter awake at night describing to her what it is going to look like.

I have also been reading an incredibly fabulous book titled "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern, a completely magical story that will fill your head and heart with delight, magic and wonder! I am sure it will be a while before I find another book that I love like this one.

So I leave you as I dive into my just delivered box of new art supplies (yay).

Please contact me if you have any queries or if you would like to invest in the above painting "Better Off".
Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions
www.nirvanavisions.org

Summer fun

OK, I thought I might just give you a little peak into our summer holidays... I love love love my camera and I am pretty sure that my kids are used to having the paparazzi follow them where ever they go these days. I have downloaded a new vintage camera app. and so the photographic love affair is undeniably 'on again'! This one is from a morning at the local skate park... although I can't say that much skating went on... but a lot of fun was had as the steamy summer breeze drifted past slowly.

My latest painting (still un-named) is almost done and I will be posting the finished work after it has been delivered to Gallery Beneath at Mooloolaba.

Summer holidays are nearly done too, but I think we have made the most of them :-)

Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions

www.nirvanavisions.org

Have you seen this latest post?

Oh my gosh! I just sent out the most amazing blog the other day and my blogging program had a little moment where it decided not to send to anyone! I really hope you don't miss out on my latest juicy news... as it is only day 6 of 2012 and I have already sold 4 paintings...

Don't miss out... check out what's on the easel now!
www.taraspicer.blogspot.com

Tara Spicer
Nirvana Visions.

2012

Bienvenue and welcome to all on this fabulous day :-)

Much has been in the works behind the scenes here at Nirvana Visions, during this Christmas and newyears break and I have a beautiful new work that has been on the easel for weeks, being brought to life...

Here are a couple of sneak peak close up sections of the same work in progress... hmmm, I wonder what the WHOLE painting looks like?

Well, you will just have to stay tuned.

My daughter has also been working on her own new painting of herself and her brother in the circus:

She is a chip off the old block our Zoe, I am so proud of her beautiful paintings and she is sure picking up some great technique fast!

Happy New Year!

We are now reclaiming order in our household after weeks of Christmas discord of toys, packaging and wrapping paper and getting back to a clean house and private art lessons which start back this week. Spaces are filling fast, so contact me now if you would like to introduce some private lessons into 2012. On your own , or with a friend, private art sessions are a great way to invest in your own creative inspiration and skill as well as a bit of 'me time', which we all need!

Our Christmas holiday Saturday classes start this Saturday and run from 9am to 11am. All are welcome at a fee of $20, all materials included (tea and nibbles as well). Please just send me a txt. or message if you would like to join Leigh and I and some keen students. Tara PH:0417231350.

Normal weekly art classes will resume on Tuesday 31st January.

Thankyou to all who have supported myself and my art in 2011 and I am deeply grateful.

Warm Regards,
Tara Spicer
www.NirvanaVisions.org
tara@nirvanavisions.org