My Story Celebrating 150 episodes of the @creativematterspodcast! Ross Jones @rossjones.nz is a painter creating works that evoke a heady sense of nostalgia and elevated playfulness, living in Snells Beach on the east coast north of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland....

Daydreaming I was the kid in class who often doodled and stared out the window. The teacher usually called me out for not paying attention, but I assumed everyone daydreamed like I did. I remember a sixth-form biology class on a hot spring afternoon. The sun would...

We all start with a blank canvas. Every artist develops their style. But what is a style? How do we make it our own? There are ways you can intentionally work on finding your art style, but this might sound overwhelming and scary. I often hear the frustration of...

Extinction The creature, the last of its kind, flees its pursuers. Are the spacemen there to study or destroy? The spectre of extinction, a crisis that reflects humanity's profound impact on the environment, is not a distant threat but a pressing issue. According to...

The Sentinel At first glance, this painting seems ominous; the ship is in peril, and disaster awaits.Why do we jump to conclusions when presented with a story or, in this case, a painting? When did we lose our curiosity to discover facts? Why are different points of...

Fragile Flying Sometimes, the most inexpensive of toys can offer the most enjoyment. Take balsa wood gliders, for example. These packaged gliders cost only a few cents, could be assembled in minutes, and were available in most toy stores. Millions were sold in the...

The golden age of travel In today's world of advanced technology and electronic gadgets, there's a certain charm in reflecting upon the origins of toys that captivated hearts and minds in a bygone era. With their simple yet elegant designs, tinplate toys have a unique...

My Sketchbook When people open a sketchbook, they expect the first image to be fantastic and a captivating book of art that draws them in from the beginning, every page a masterpiece of finished art. But for me, my sketchbooks are a world apart from that expectation....

I am Alice Ten years ago, my partner Jo persuasively argued that our lives were missing something fundamental—a four-legged, tail-wagging friend. I, on the other hand, was sceptical. I wasn't quite ready for the responsibilities of a pet. After some good-natured...

Temptation In Ross Jones' painting "Temptation," the artist captures a poignant moment in the life of Alice, his 10-year-old Labradoodle. The scene portrays Alice marooned in a tree hut, yearning for her prized tennis ball lying out of her reach. The late afternoon...

At what point can I call myself an artist? Is it after completing my first painting or my second? Is there a magical number of paintings I must complete before I feel comfortable with the title? Or is it simply the act of picking up the brushes and returning to the...

Special Guest Painting #2 Not everything is as it seems with our flowers; according to several scientific reports, the calla lily is not a true lily, and this flower has a great story.In the language of flowers, calla lilies mean "beauty." The name derives from the...

Solitude A Journey through Stillness"Solitude" is a story that combines a seemingly perfect place and a common event. Like all good stories, not everything is as it seems. The antique pond yacht, adorned with a classic white hull and elegant green stripes, rests...

Prized Possessions "Prized Possessions" is a captivating painting exploring the intriguing world of collectors. One person's junk is another's treasure. With a combination of realism, imagination and using the trompe l'oeil style, the artist portrays a variety of...

What Now? Ten years ago, my partner Jo said we needed a dog in our lives. I wasn't convinced, so we compromised and we got a dog. Alice, the labradoodle, arrived several weeks later by plane from Christchurch, a little ball of soft cuddly fur, she was the Energiser...

Introducing my new painting "Sea Breeze" I purchased this stunning example of an early 20th-century gaff-rigged pond yacht from John Stephens Antiques in Remuera early this year. Dating from the 1920s this Yacht is of medium size. 1350mm(L) x 1400mm(H) x 240mm(D)....

  Two of my earlier paintings, “Special Guest” and “Surprise”, have been in my private collection since 2009. They are the 2nd and 3rd artworks in my journey to reach 100 paintings. Both are now on display for purchase at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery in Napier. These paintings...

There is something magical about clockwork toys. The engineering is superb. Here are two of my tinplate windup toys. Both are about 17 inches long and are built for speed. I have featured Lionels Tinplate No 1-44 Toy boat. The 1 prefix denotes that this model is a...

As the city's residents went about their daily lives, the tin toy space rocket stood tall in the park, an emblem of a bygone era. The juxtaposition of this vintage toy against the unknown person or people in the window and the Bumblebee are the central characters in...

I have featured Schuco's fantastic Nautico electric motor yacht in this painting titled "The Captain." This model is made of sheet metal and plastic. It is coloured in white, blue, and maroon, and a compass is on the front deck, so you know where you're going. I can...