one man's trash...

There is a clothing bin at the end of our street.
Over the last few years it has been reappropriated as a general dumping ground. Check it regularly and you're bound to find something to your taste.

Two delightful ladies, a can of 7Up and a cockatiel.

 

 Dancing leaves from Wilder 

There are many delightful plans a-foot. 

A possible business venture.

8 week holiday in Europe.

and a jolly wedding to plan.

But right now I just want to drink my tea and watch the leaves dance.

looks great, smells nice

Ooh we bought some art.
The sculptor is Misato Sano, a lovely lovely girl from Sendai. Here is a translation of her fantastic artist statement:

I have used dogs in my work to express the various facets of feminity (some of them are based on female statues I personally admire). Dogs are always loyal to their masters. I make my work with the hope that they will also nuzzle up to their audience.

It's made from camphor wood so it smells amazing.

craft love festival

Last night from 6-9 I sold some cards at the Craft Love Festival at Mairehau High School.
It was a great night, a bit nippy outside, but I always have a blanket or two up my sleeve/in my car.




And I was super super excited because I had made a sock cat during the week, just one lonely little guy - and he sold within 10mins. Thank you dear customer.

I can't believe how happy it makes me when I sell something I have made. Just outrageously so.

summer rap

This summer we spent so much time enjoying it, swimming in it, walking in it, eating in it that we were oblivious to the small clues cropping up that it might be coming to an end.
And now I have two bags of cooking apples at my feet and a large bunch of rhubarb - without warning autumn has arrived. The sneaky little devil just turned up, last week on saturday the 16th, with a rustley, chilly hello.

(It's not very cold at the moment, in fact we are in the middle of a drought - but last week her prescence was felt for sure, I even wore a scarf)

Anyway here is a little summer wrap up.  

Obsessed with granny gardens.

Plenty of quality garden time with Frankie. 

Okains Bay ladies.

 

 Camping at Moetapu Bay in the Marlbourough Sounds. Anyone seen Moonrise Kingdom? It was idyllic. Private bay, phosphorescent water, glow worms and ruru.

 

Garage salers in their element.

 

Seagulls in their element. 

 

Award winning Oamaru Granny bouquets. 

 

Oamaru flower show, braggers corner. 

 

Bach life in Diamond Harbour.

 

Stack-o-bears.

 

Sunday recovery postition. Frankie and I moved with the sun. 

Other things worth mentioning - stayed with our friends who live in a yurt, star gazed at Lake Tekapo, spent NYE in Blackball on the West Coast rocking out to a band from Ashburton, grew too many courgettes,  fed some farm animals, had numerous bbqs and made a great coconut cake.

Shared Lines / Shake It Up

Well the exhibitions are up and they are breathtaking/mindblowing/poignant/funny/beautiful.
If you are in Christchurch I insist you visit one or both of the shows. They are a treat. You won't regret it.

I have included a handful of pictures in this post, but there are just so many works involved it is only a mere glimpse of what you can see.

Fumiaki Aono. Restoration of a videotape found after the earthquake in Arahama, Watari

 Misato Sano "My Favorite Shiba"

 

Both the Canterbury Museum (Shared Lines - Sendai) and University (Shake It Up) shows are on until the 31st March. But if you are someone who unfortunately lives somwhere else, have a look at our tumblr and facebook page and feast your eyes on more Art.

The show at the museum features 70 works from Christchurch and Sendai artists. Having the opportunity to view and compare so many works from two very specific places is a unique experience. It is really special.
And there is something for everyone - I defy anyone who thinks otherwise!

Beautiful etching by Shino Echigo

Ryo Kimura's pop-tastic paintings

Artist talk with Henry Sunderland - the gnome and road cone man

The Japanese artists have left now after two whirlwind weeks of installation, artist talks, eating and drinking, gallery hopping and sightseeing. This is my favourite photo from our time together..

Kaori - you are wonderful. You and this llama were great together, high fashion at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. Also, I love your laugh to pieces. 

animal puns are terrific

Remember the Sendai/Christchurch Art Exchange? Well the second stage has swiftly arrived and to help accomodate the Japanese artists who have arrived in Christchurch we launched a new fundraising project. More giftcards, but this this time there is a special pack of three featuring my watercolours.
They are incredibly, unashamedly adorable.
Buy them, give them to anyone you are a little sweet on.

 

(for international readers, a kea is a native parrot of New Zealand - it has nothing to do with Ikea)

You can find them at my etsy shop and my felt shop!

We are hoping to turn the exchange into something more, whether it's an annual exchange or an artist residency program.
Not only will you be helping all sorts of artists, but it makes my little heart swell when people buy things I have created. My heart brims!

Compliments of the season to you!

Christmas!
It was magnificent!
Gareth and I visited four houses each with their very own ham.

Here I am

Oh one day I will get into this regular blogging thing. There is just too much to do that I never quite get around to finding the words to write it all down.

Anyway here is November in a nutshell - cats, fireworks, art, flowers, friends, horses.

Chips & Whetstones

Oh woops! I was so busy making the art I forgot to tell you all about the show. 



But let me tell you, putting this show together was a delight in every way. Art making has never been so stress free and dreamy. My dear friend Annie Matchsticks and I worked on this installation together, hand-in-hand, tea for two, mornings and afternoons, chatting and collecting, dreaming and drawing.

 


 
These are the words we used that made it happen...

pioneer, whittling, crochet, sheets, candles, twigs, homesteaders, the softening, wild west, petticoats, can-can skirts, delicious, dusty, shavings, camp ovens, boots scrapin, we're ok corral, haybales, whiskey, swing door, primus, beans, tooling, heirloom, turret, crepe paper, pancakes, champagne breakfast, scaffolding, climbing, road to california, steps to the altar, lattices...





 As well as the large, quilt-like extravaganza draped over my grandmother's washing line, we installed a garden gate, golden couch, a tree stump - alive with moss, and a tv playing some carefully edited youtube videos of whittling and Azalea Trail Maids.





And to top off this unashamedly swoony work, instead of the usual gallery opening in Christchurch - evening, black, booze and cigarettes - we wanted to soften it all up and create new conversations, add a bit of whimsy to the poor old town. So on the stormiest of saturday mornings we held a breakfast with sangria, tea, coffee and pancakes. Gareth flipped 144 of them.

Thank you Dog Park for having us, it was a blast.