flowers and the angel

I'm packing today, and ready to leave this cold weather for a bit of warmth in the pacific islands for a couple of weeks... but I thought I'd leave you all with an image, and a quick note about it. Gravestone markers, especially angels, seem to be quite highly photographed, especially by some well known New Zealand photographers, and this I am very aware of. However, I am still attracted to them regardless of this, I just can't help myself. There is something beautiful about them and yet quite disturbing at the same time, especially when they start to crumble or decay in some way, a symbol it seems of what it is they are representing.

So I leave you with this, and I shall be back in a couple of weeks

Dark (Vent 6)

(click on the image to make it large enough to read)

Here is an invite to my latest show. It is a group show in Palmerston North at Thermostat gallery. Thermostat is a beautiful gallery and is well worth the visit if you haven’t already been there and worth the detour if you are heading out of or down to Wellington. This particular show should be great, with the theme Dark and each artist’s interpretation of that.

I don't think I can make it to the opening as I am meeting an early flight out of Auckland on Monday morning, but make sure you try and get there this Saturday night!

As I said, I'm flying away for a couple of weeks, I'm escaping this cold and heading to Tonga with my Husband for some relaxation and some warm water activities. So I may not be able to post again for a while, but I will as soon as I get back and I may even have some nice images to share with you.

Ranginui & Papatuanuku: The Survival of All

Here are some images I made during Easter while going around the East Cape. And following also are some beautiful words that I found.

"To my mind, the Maori explanation of creation and evolution teaches me all I need to know to understand my role in life and attitude towards nature. My heritage teaches me about concepts such as the integrity and inter-dependency of living things. It makes me quite comfortable with the notion that as a human being I am but one part of a whole and that my generation is also simply one strand in the rope of humanity. It pre-determines that the relationship I have with nature is based on kinship and respect and that in order for me to survive in a culturally rich way, I depend on the survival of others, not just other humans, but also plants and animals in the sea as well as on the land. It clarifies, that both male and female elements, are necessary to create and sustain life, be it human, plant or animal. It provides me with a proven framework from which I can analyse and identify risks and benefits to the well-being of all those areas that form my cultural heritage and encourages me to accept responsibility that in my lifetime I will not contribute to, or allow others to cause, any diminishment to the cultural heritage of my ancestors and descendants, including those yet unborn.
Whatungarongaro he tangata; toitu he whenua
Man will always perish, but the land will remain forever"

SACRED BALANCE Aroha Te Pareake Mead

winter

It always seems that winter is such a busy time in the art world, with many exhibitions being on, art awards taking place, and for photography, it is the best time to be photographing. Also, winter with its tendency to slow us down a bit, it is a great time to contemplate new work. So, I have been busy, although it seems, not with a camera in hand. As often, I find for myself, that the actual taking of a photo is such a small part of photography.

So what has been happening you ask!? Well, the Anthony Harper award just closed on the weekend, as did the group show in Auckland. A group show is opening up end of next week in Palmerston north, and another group show that I'm finishing work off for at the end of August. There are other awards coming up that I am preparing for... that is all without even picking up a camera! I spent a major part of the last two years preparing for my touring show "Whaingaroa", which showed in Jan to March this year around the North Island. This work took up a lot of my time and creative energy, with it over now, I can focus on some new bodies of work. So that is also what I have been doing - planning, thinking, contemplating, writing, drawing, taking some 'sketch photos' and experimenting. All very busy really, but not a whole lot of stuff to show for it really.

Nevertheless, for some proof that I am still taking photos, here is a snap I took of myself a couple of weeks ago while I was out on a photography walk.

Shimmer Lyrics

sharing with us what he knows
shining eyes are big and blue
and all around him water flows
this world to him is new
this world to him is new
to touch a face
to kiss a smile
new eyes see no race
the essence of a child
the essence
he's born to shimmer, he's born to shine
he's born to radiate
he's born to live, he's born to love
but we'll teach him not to hate
true love it is a rock
smoothed over by a stream
no ticking of a clock
truly measures what that means
truly measures what that means
and this thing they call our time
heard a brilliant woman say
she said you know it's crazy
how I want to try to capture mine
I think I love this woman's way
I think I love this woman's
way she shimmers, the way she shines
the way she radiates
the way she lives, the way she loves
the way she never hates
sometimes I think of all of this that can surround me
I know it all as being mine
but she kisses me and wraps herself around me
she gives me love, she gives me time
and I feel fine
I feel fine
but time I cannot change
so here's to looking back
you know I drink a whole bottle of my pride
and I toast to change
to keep these demons off my back
just get these demons off my back
cause I want to shimmer, I want to shine
I want to radiate
I want to live, I want to love
I want to try to learn not to hate
try not to hate
we're born to shimmer, we're born to shine
we're born to radiate
we're born to live, we're born to love
we're born to never hate

in canvas

In this weekends New Zealand Herald's magazine 'canvas' I feature on the inside front cover. Just a quick blurb about me and the books I am currently reading with a note about the show I have on in Auckland at the moment. Click on the image to make it large enough to read.

Diesel

Here are the photos as promised of our what we now know is a Juvinile Southern Giant Petrel. His name is Diesel.

on the wall

Here are a couple of pics of my work from the group show at Aveia Gallery in Auckland. Don't forget the show is on till the 16th of June.

On a completely different note, we are often referred to as the Raglan Zoo, or RSPCA, or basically the place that stray animals come to when in need, some kind of secret message that animals send each other has gone out I think. In the space of two years we have helped 5 cats, 1 kitten, 1 rat, 7 ducks, 1 budgie all lost, stay or injured in some way. We now have a giant northern Petrel in our front porch sleeping after a nice feed of fish, warmed by the fire and scaring our cats as it is twice their size. It's making quite a mess as what goes in must come out I suppose. There is some very rough weather out now and it has an injured wing. I'm babysitting it till DOC can come and pick it up tomorrow. I'll try and make some images of it before then, and post some of them here.

Auckland show

I got back from Auckland a couple of days ago, where I had gone for the opening of my group show In Our Backyard showing at Aveia gallery (Commerce Street). The show is on till the 16th of June so feel free to pop in if you are around to have a look.

The opening was great, and I enjoyed being in a different art scene to the Wellington one that I am so used to. Also was great to wander a few galleries with the Auckland festival of Photography on.

Two of my works sold on the opening night, including this image above - Tiko Tiko, however there are still two prints of it available. Most of my works are limited to an edition of three, with some being one offs. This one is of an edition of three, so number 2 and 3 are still available.

I'm going back to Auckland on Tuesday for my friends shows opening, and to wander more amongst the galleries.