Mr and Mrs Z Huia

Mr and Mrs Z Huia 2011

This work was so neat to paint, I had gorgeous vintage photographs to work from for the human elements of the paintings. It was sad however working from images of stuffed birds for the huia.

I so love checking out old photographs, the expressions, what people wore and the attention to detailing in the workmanship.

I did this work in response to hearing that the last known breeding pair of huia, who were meant to make it to an offshore Island in the hope of saving the species, ended up in some English gent's managerie back in the Mother Land. Victorian's and their collections! The 'Z' in the title of the work refers to 'Zachariah' which was taken from the title of a very bleak book I read when in my teens.

If you are interested in seeing more images you can find this work on Felt

Flourishing Manu

For the market I produced some lovely little illustrations that were based on the aesthetic of old engravings. For fun I had them perching on a vintage copperplate flourish based on some images I had on old letraset. I love playing with language and the way you can add meaning through devices like puns etc;

Piwakawaka and tui are both species that have adapted and are still prevalent throughout the country. Here you can find out how to participate in the landcare survey recording the diversity of the bird-life in your area Birdwatching in your Backyard with Forest and Bird This is definately a worthwhile activity to participate in . . . like they say in the article, a good excuse to get outside.

Seeing as pihipihi / silvereyes were documented as being the most prevalent native species last year, I am definately going to have to do an illustration of one of those cuties to add to the little linen whanau.

Currently you can see the little works on the front page of Felt

Fun Fair

A shot of the stall . . . so tempted to replace my head with that of a birds

Life has finally balanced out after the mad momentum that we got into getting work ready for the Auckland Art and Craft Fair. It was so much fun meeting people and seeing the plethora of creative ideas that other aritsans have. Very inspiring to be amongst so many talented folks. Here you can see some Photos from the Fair and check out the gorgeous goods that were available for purchase

I didn't manage to wander around and take any of my own as it was soooo busy. I can't wait until the one around Christmas.

A big thank you to my mum Sue for being such a super-dooper help xx

Put a Bow on It . . .

Not too much longer until the Auckland Fair. We have been busy trying to realize a whole load of fresh ideas but whether we get them all sorted remains to be seen. However, it is fun trying . . . Here is a little design for a wee gift card that I have had swirling around in my head for a while. It makes sense to me to combine a gift card and a decorative bow. This series is printed on 100% recycled stock which makes it ethically frivolous! If there is such a thing . . .

Check out some of the other fabulous artisans via the Auckland Fair Blog

Sweden's Birds

Thanks to Wooster for this gorgeous collage of some of the images that were put up around the streets in Sweden.

Personally I think it is about making a statement about the lack of birdlife in urban spaces. Here in New Zealand we have issues with that ourselves, especially the lack of food bearing trees and green corridors for our native species. It would be fabulous if people would consider planting endemic plants that provide edible berries or nectar, our manu would benefit greatly from this and they would make our gardens even more enjoyable.

Follow the link to our favourite collective for the video footage by Jonas Nordborg. Wooster Collective

better get your move on . . .

19 days and counting until the Auckland Art and Craft Fair! It is all very exciting, we have so many ideas for works to try and get completed for the date. Check out the link here to see what other fabulous sellers will be having their work there as well as seeing our interview :) Auckland Fair

Piwakawaka Wikitoriana

Piwakawaka Wikitoriana
2011

This is a little work that I completed before the Auckland Artisan Market in Parnell. Again it continues on exploring ideas based on connecting our manu native birds with Victorian society.

Here is the old photograph which I based Piwakawaka (fantail) on, the expression on the lady's face is quite confident and twinkly, just how I see the wee birds themselves.

Piwakawaka traditionally are viewed as being an omen of death, if one flies into your house, it is believed to signify that someone is going to die. When Maui was trying to defeat Hine-nui-te-po, the sleeping Goddess of Death, Piwakawaka was so amused by Maui's technique attempting this, laughing so loudly that Hine-nui-te-po woke up and then killed Maui. This is where this sweet wee bird developed it's terrible reputation from.

Detail of
Piwakawaka Wikitoriana

 When dealing with notions of extinction and conservation, using Piwakawaka symbolically is very appropriate.

Further images and information are available here; ellaQuaint on Felt