Volcanic Artistry from New Zealand
Experience the raw power and beauty of New Zealand's volcanic landscape in every brushstroke. Our paints are crafted using hand-ground volcanic minerals, thermal earth deposits, and native flora.
AUAHA
At OBSIDIAN ΛRC, we embrace the enigmatic allure of the alchemic arts, forging a bridge between the ancient and the contemporary.
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O Λ invites individuals to discover a world of artistry and creativity rooted in the mystical and esoteric, hinting at a realm of veiled knowledge and ancient arts, where nature's elements and ancient practices converge to produce the unique and exquisite.
REALISATION
As my art journey progressed, I'd often found myself surrounded by pigments, powders, inks, and a myriad of mediums and binders, while seldom reaching for pre-made paints any longer. I'd develop unique mixtures throughout each project, refining them to exhibit desired behaviours and distinctive characteristics tailored to my specific needs.
Over time, I noticed a pattern emerging — a handful of similar concoctions would evolve to repeatedly grace my artistic endeavours. To preserve these elixirs, I repurposed empty bottles, cherishing their contents like relics of profound value.
Gradually, I curated a tiny collection of these vessels that held my arcane blends. They were treated as cherished artifacts, revered and almost sacred, for the precise ratios that once birthed their enchantment had faded into the mists of memory.
In a moment of introspection, as I looked across my small collection of desperately depleting elixirs, I considered the dominance of certain companies in the art supplies market. And how, with some knowledge of fine art materials, I'd discovered more cost-effective and vastly superior alternatives are available. Paints that also brought me significant joy to use and ease to my creative process.
This realisation led me to contemplate the idea of finding a wonderful, organic and ethically driven New Zealand-based company and start a journey to create our own limited palette of artist-grade concoctions, tailored to suit my distinct dark tastes.
Although the art supply market is saturated, I feel that it fails to adequately serve artists, and many of us are currently being often overcharged and underserved, with cheap chemicals, high margins and products that don't truly fulfil our needs.
The process itself has been a wonderful, yet arduous journey. It involved the lengthy tasks of traveling our beautiful natural land, to locate suitable mineral deposits. Then grinding and testing each source location for performance with different ratios of binders and friendly pigments combinations.
Extensive testing of the favourite formulations are then conducted on diverse surfaces and canvases, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of how each pigment and combination performs.
This laborious process is harmonised by creating artworks that feature simple, yet meaningful imagery. This approach not only allows for an exploration of the pigments' characteristics but also facilitates meaningful comparisons between them.
FALLEN ERDE
PARU HĀMATE
FALLEN | Hāmate
A dusky leather cloak, wet dirt unfurled,
As twilight falls and stains the world.
Uprooted moss and ancient alpine fir,
Like fading embers of a forgotten hearth.
In whispering trees and vetiver roots entwined,
Animalistic musk and deep crimson wine.
Frozen footsteps, and smoking sage,
Tell melancholy tales of earth and decay.
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Handmade in New Zealand.
Available in
9 ml / 0.3 oz
40 ml / 1.4oz
The NATURAL EARTH AND OCHER pigments encompass a spectrum of hues derived solely from the Earth itself. These pigments give rise to gentle, partially translucent shades, revealing nuanced undertones when blended with opaque foundations. While their tinting power may not rival that of our Oxide pigments in terms of strength or opacity, their colours possess an unmatched quality that eludes artificial counterparts.
Carefully and responsibly sourced by hand, these pigments originate from quarries and mountain ranges scattered across the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand. Moreover, they are non-toxic, ensuring a safe and conscientious artistic experience.
AETHER
MARUĀPŌ
Maruāpō is inspired by Aotearoa's deep connection with the spiritual and ancestral, intertwined with our sacred lands. It resonates with the ancient forests, sentinel mountain ranges, and boundless ocean while embracing the serenity discovered in solitude. We are not distinct from 'nature'; rather, our essence is indivisible, and this demands reverent introspection.
sacred lands, ancient forests, and oceans untamed. Serenity whispers in solitude's embrace, unveiling the harmony of all life's threads.
Nature's pulse beats as one with our essence,
urging profound introspection in reverent surrender.
Abyssal born, dark whispers our soulful tie,
Wild atmosphere's essence, where spirits fly.
Harsh wind, indomitable sea, light snow's grace,
Ancient forests, solitude, our soul's sacred space.
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Handmade in New Zealand.
Available in
9 ml / 0.3 oz
40 ml / 1.4oz
CINDER |
PUNGAREHU
PUNGAREHU is inspired by Aotearoa's volcanic formation.
A delicate blush, like petals kissed by decay,
The air burdened with ancient sorrows.
The depths of an ember heart, now faded, forlorn.
An ashen cloak, powdery, withered with scorch.
A pallid veil, buried secrets,
The remnants of eruptions and fiery echoes.
Petrified dreams, whispers of ruined hope,
Enigmatic beauty turning all to ash and dust,
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Handmade in New Zealand.
Available in
9 ml / 0.3 oz
40 ml / 1.4oz
GUARDIAN
TANIWHA
Taniwha
Ancient memories, guardians eyes.
Awaken breath of unfathomable might,
As green leaves dance, embracing the ethereal light.
Deep earthen fern, kuro and moss,
Beneath a young moon and sun.
Their essence entwined with nature's vibrant bloom,
Now forgotten voices, echoes of gloom.
Sage guardians of ancient lore,
Nature's wisdom lost,
Unveil its beauty, a story this world forgot.
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Handmade in New Zealand.
Available in
9 ml / 0.3 oz
40 ml / 1.4oz
E tū Pōhutukawa e
Te kaikawe i ngā mate o te tau
Haere rā koutou ki te uma o ranginui
Haere ki te kete nui a tāne
Koia rā! Kua whetūrangitia koutou
.
...You have become stars
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A chill breeze whispers with a mournful dirge.
A dim glow paints the world in shades of somber,
This ethereal pallor cast upon the land.
In the heart of the night, the moon hides its face,
as a sentinel ascends, heralding the departure of souls from this earthly realm.
Beneath its haunting gaze, the earth trembles,
and the air grows heavy with sorrow.
People huddle close, sensing an impending darkness that lurks beyond the horizon.
Pōhutukawa's presence warns of the fragility of existence, urging all who witness its spectral luminescence to cherish the moments with loved ones, for they too shall succumb to the inexorable passage of time.
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Handmade in New Zealand.
Available in
9 ml / 0.3 oz
40 ml / 1.4oz
Andrew Carvae, CARVAE, Carvae art, carvae artist, ΛNDREW CARVΛÉ, Λndrew Carvʌé,
new zealand art, new zealand artist, Tauranga, Tauranga fine art, tauranga artist, paint, watercolour, watercolour, mediums, earth pigments,
Fine art, Figurative painting, figurativism , Expressionist painting, Oil painting, Expressionism, Traditional brush, Impasto, Abstract techniques, large canvases, abstract art,
dark art, morbid art, gothic art, goth artist, suffering, emotional art, human dignity, Beauty, Dignity, Mortality, Loss, Pain, fine art Tauranga, modern art NZ, fine artist NZ,
" BORNE FROM NATIVE NEW ZEALAND FLORA, VOLCANIC ASH, CLAY-EARTH, AND STONE.
REFINED WITH UNWAVERING PATIENCE, CARE, AND DEDICATION "
