Monica Koster Art

  We are excited to announce our new book, THE WONDERFUL STRANGES is coming soon! "These odd-bods were wrong, they didn't belong - the children were told to keep clear. 'They're frightfully strange, bizarre and deranged - not like the rest of us here!' 'Every Strange child runs totally wild in that ludicrous house in the trees!' 'Completely outrageous!' 'Most likely contagious!" 'That goat must be riddled with fleas!'"  When the Strange family flies into town in their hot air balloon with their bicycle powered contraptions, goats and chickens, the villagers treat them with suspicion. Granny Strange has a penchant for possum-fur wear in the form of moccasins, jackets and hats & the children use leaves from tall cabbage trees, and weave backpacks, baskets and mats. And the family's bath with a view and a composting loo are certainly far from convention. But when a storm hits and floods the valley, who is there to...

  I'm excited to announce the upcoming release of my first picture book, 'Tama and the Taniwha'. Written by Melanie Koster, and the Te Reo Māori edition 'Ko Tama me te Taniwha' translated by Pānia Papa. Thanks to our publisher  @scholastic_nz  and the Storylines Joy Cowley Award. Coming out in September!!

I recently had the pleasure of illustrating the junior fiction novel, 'Journey Through the Cat Door' written by Belinda O'Keefe. I designed and painted the book cover, and created ten or so sketches which are interspersed throughout the novel. CLICK HERE TO ORDER WITH BATEMAN BOOKS!  

  'Memory' This painting is inspired by an old photo of my great grandmother and her siblings. I was drawn to it; it’s exciting to be able to view a memory that is not my own, of family members I have never met. Wondering if the building in the photo still existed, caused me to think about the different rates memories and material objects fade. In the painting, where the environment/structure behind the figures is static, the figures are scraped across it; blurred. The way each layer is treated reflects how permanent they are as a memory, and how memories distort and fragment over time. Although changing gradually over time, the environment always exists; the horizon remains a rugged line. Buildings become dilapidated, disappearing into the ground over time, however tend to stay longer than people who inevitably die and then only exist in photographs as memories. As their physical beings are removed from the world, they are wiped across the canvas; leaving behind memories, flee...

  'Circus Troupe' This painting is made up of three random reference images, including a black and white circus troupe photo, a glowing jelly fish, and a plastic bag. I used the group of people as the base of my image, and painted them using the glowing colours of the jellyfish against a dark background. Like how a plastic bag flies away in the wind, the figure's faces are swiped across the surface. This project was challenging, but enjoyable.

Entangled (Reflection) This painting depicts a tangled web of strings hung and reflected across a mirror. It is displayed in portrait orientation within the installation which it is based on.  Some strings are painted realistically, where some are as blurred as the camera or eye would see up close. Some strings carelessly tangle across the canvas, where others are linear and taut. Some lines have more weight, and others have more linseed oil and vary in opacity. These contrasts create ambiguity of the lines. There is also ambiguity in what is  being reflected and what isn't. Some strings travel through the frame from the picture plane edge, but then end at the edge of the reflection on the other side, whereas others are reflected realistically.  The mirror provides a portal into the hidden chaos. You are looking at a reflection of a specific area within the 'web', so may get the sense you are catching a glimpse of something private, or behind the scenes. The painting is d...