Diary
plantgril project log, updated as needed


Date:  Thursday 7th NovemberTomorrow I will exhibit my paintings at a local gallery here in Tāmaki Makaurau called Ūkaipō, there are 34 pieces in total to hang, we will also have some locally sourced wine and snacks to celebrate the community here. It feels like such a huge achievement to have put this all together myself.

The illustrations on this poster are lifted from my sketchbook, most were drawn in Japan.



Date:  Thursday 7th NovemberAt the end of the month I finished up painting. I am so happy with the pieces I’ve made and the growth I’ve earnt over the month. It was a lot of work but I’m so glad I did it!


Date:  Monday 21st OctoberMore painting continues! The prompts for these were Burrow, Slow, Fast and Rest. I love these loose prompts that I can take where I like. Slow and Fast are made from references I saw in Japan.


Date:Tuesday 15th October
New dress made in cotton shirting! I fell in love with this plaid as soon as I saw it! I’ve been making variations of this style for a while, but I think this is very very close to being my perfect summer dress! I love pattern matching as it is so satisfying, so this dress sees a lot of beautifully lined-up checks! I think I’ll wear this to my exhibition :-).





Date:  Monday 14th OctoberFor these paintings, the prompts were Apricot, Pixel, Wheel and Earth. I love how cohesive these feel together, orange and green are my favourites to put together in a composition. These paintings were made in quite different ways, some very loose and some super planned, but they all feel like mine.


Date:  Thursday 9th OctoberYesterday I announced my solo exhibition on instagram! I’ve had this in mind since I started learning to paint in february this year, I found my perfect exhibition space and locked it in on the 7th of September. I’ve been super lucky to receive sponsorship from Almighty sparkling water and Mélange wines! I’ve organised some sweets from Coffee Pen and bread from Florets. I have about 8 more paintings to make before the big day on the 8th of November but everything is really falling into place!


Date:  Wednesday 8th OctoberWeekend catch up! The prompts for these were Fawn, Sketch, Bud and River. These all felt like big growth points in their own way, for fawn I wasn’t sure if I would be able to show depth in the all green background, but it worked out really well. Sketch felt like a big step towards finding a way to bring painting and illustration together, I still have a long way to go with this idea but it was nice to get started. I’ve also been struggling with the bigger panel size 
(350 x 250) but both sketch and bud were helpful forward points. 

River feels really special. I worked from my own reference which was a film photo I took in Kyoto of the Kamogawa River, I can’t put into words what a special place it is but I think it does show in the painting.

I had hoped this month long exercise would feel like a kind of boot camp for my painting skills and it definitely feels like my progress and confidence has sped up.


Date:  Wednesday 4th OctoberTodays prompt was Sky Just a wee cloud and shadow study today.



Date:  Wednesday 3rd OctoberTodays prompt was Paw! I making these pixel paintings, I got the idea from knitting charts and cross-stitch panels! These paintings require some pre-work to plan which squares will be filled with which colours, I enjoy every part of this process!



Date:  Wednesday 2nd OctoberTodays prompt was Sparkle I painted this sweet dusky landscape with a trickle of sunlight running across it, sparkling on the road and the grass. I’ve been really enjoying making these true green tones recently, more so than the olives I was enjoying last month. I like making lots of different shades as I go, working back. and forth from shadows to highlights.


Date:Tuesday 1st October
This week marked the start of October, and with it the beginning of Peachtober! I’ll be making a new acrylic painting on wood panel for each day following the prompt list. Today’s prompt is Daisy.


Date:Monday 30th September
I recently made a new self drafted cotton skirt. I love the softness of the fabric and simplicity of the style.





Date: Sunday 29th SeptemberI shot two rolls of film in August, in Tokyo and Kyoto! Both fujifilm, one 100 iso and the other 400 iso. I let them both go through the airport scanner! oops! I am very happy with the results, I think they capture the trip very genuinely.




Date:Sunday 14th JulyI loved filming on my camcorder in South Korea and Japan, here's a little video I compiled, it feels like such a real representation of the trip! I definitely need to learn to be a bit bolder at filming in public but the rewards of this video help push me there :-).



Date:Wednesday 22nd MayI made a linen trench coat! This was such a test of my skills, every seam is french seamed or bound in small-width bias binding. The linen was a delight to work with and I’m left with a project that I’m not only super proud of but a delight to wear in spring and autumn!