It seems to have taken forever. In fact it’s a year almost to the day when I was invited to submit a wee 12 x 10cm painting on canvas for the Imago Mundi World Art Collection (New Zealand).

But, the wait’s over and the published book arrived by courier today. And, wow, what a hefty tome it is! Over 450 pages, jam-packed with images of art and artist information.

And, there are some seriously impressive artists being represented in it… many of whom inspired me when I was just getting started. To be honest, it kind of makes me feel a bit self-conscious. The thing is that when I was invited to submit a painting, I hadn’t painted in years and was rather unsure about my creative direction. But, rather than getting all hung up on exactly what I should paint, I grabbed some acrylics and just had some fun on the canvas. Perhaps not exactly my best work, but an accurate representation of where I was at, at the time.

My painting sits smack dab in the middle of the book and it looks pretty decent, apart from the fact the colours and vibrancy haven’t translated well (I’ve gotten used to that with printed images). What IS impressive about this book, though, is the sheer brilliance of the art work that just pops off each page. It’s an absolute testament to New Zealand art and artists, and it’s something I’m very proud (albeit humbled) to be a part of.