The Photo That Made My Raglan Arts Weekend 🎨

And the perfect ta-da moment to launch my new collection!

“I have to get a photo,” Jess says, “Of me on Jay’s shoulders in front of your exhibit.”

On the left: Jess and Jair (Jay) Ramirez, Raglan-based aerialist circus performers extraordinaire, co-founders of Freedom2Fly. On the right: me (Ailene Cuthbertson), Raglan-based artist, still dreams of joining the circus.

This is at my corner of The Hatch exhibition at the Raglan Arts Weekend 2024.

And behind us is the result of our collaboration.

Which makes this the PERFECT way to announce the unveiling of this brand new collection of paintings. 

Step right up…

The Autumn Circus is here!

The Autumn Circus collection, making its debut at the Raglan Arts Weekend.

Left: Equilibrium I. Middle: Equilibrium II. Right: Equilibrium III.

Left: Harvest moon I. Middle: Harvest moon II. Right: Harvest moon III.

Left: Fall of the leaf I. Middle: Fall of the leaf II. Right: Fall of the leaf III.

As an artist, this has been a dream project for me (have I mentioned ‘join the circus’ is still on my todo list?) And not only did Jess and Jay metaphorically help me do that, but they brought the same infectious joy and camaraderie when visiting my arts weekend exhibit as they did during our photoshoot.

Watch the behind-the-scenes video (it’s just 4 minutes long) and you’ll see what I mean!

I’ve said it before, but it’s obvious Jess and Jay LOVE what they do.

And I LOVED painting them doing it! ♥

Turns out, while the bright autumn colour palette and watercolour effect really appealed to folks, what caught their eye the most? The expressiveness. The whimsy. The togetherness. The joy. The indescribable ‘let’s get a photo of me standing on your shoulders’ sort of delight.

That’s what makes The Autumn Circus so special.

This holiday season, give the gift of whimsical, joyful autumn. Created with ♥ and laughter. Packaged with crisp days, moonlit nights, and cosy cups of tea…and a free pack of greeting cards for the first 3 orders (all that’s left after the weekend!)

Each is professionally printed on heavily textured, 100% cotton rag, fine art paper with torn edges (perfect for a float mounted frame). Available in two sizes:

• A3 (42 × 30 cm) in a limited edition of 3: $340

• A4 (30 × 21 cm) in a limited edition of 5: $160

(Collector discounts available for multiple artworks—because these look fantastic in pairs or threes!)

This collection is so new it’s not yet on my website, so please email me at ailene@oldmountainart.com if you’d like to purchase or have any questions.

Or you just want to tell me what you’d be when you run away and join the circus. 😁

Your fellow artist,

Ailene

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P.S. If you visited my corner of the Raglan Arts Weekend last weekend, thank you—it was great to see you! 👋

P.P.S. For more of Jess and Jay, DO NOT MISS Freedom2Fly Fest 2024. There’s something for everyone:

• The Balancing Act—Jess and Jay’s acrobatic love story: 7^th November, 6 pm, Te Uku Hall.

• Cabaret Night—THE place to be, glitz and glamour, dress to impress Gatsby-style: 8^th and 9^th November, 8.30 pm, Te Uku Hall.

• Hits Through The Ages—F2F Dance Showcase: 8^th November, 5 pm and 9^th November, 3 pm, Te Uku Hall. (I have it on good authority that there is a “funny bit” in it—thanks to a young dancer I met at the arts weekend.)

• Run Away With The Circus—F2F Circus Showcase: 9^th November, 11 am at the Freedom2Fly studio.

• Moonroe’s Happy Hour—a zany cabaret overflowing with circus acts, musical numbers and comedic capers: 9^th November, 5 pm, at the Freedom2Fly studio.

• Sunday Busking Day—10^th November, 10 am – 4 pm, bring a picnic blanket to Bow Street and enjoy free busking performances, including hula hoops, comedy, aerial performances, circus feats, and musicians.

• Workshops—your chance to learn hula hoops, aerial silks, clowning, or balancing on chairs!

All the info and tickets here.