Watercolour Sketching Workshop

-       You will learn how to create simple, fast sketches that can be used later for reference material, or just enjoyed as they are. This is an ideal way to record travels, as a sketchbook can be small enough to put in your pocket!

-       We’ll explore sketching with pencils/charcoal , and adding colour with watercolour. 

-       We’ll also cover basic watercolour technique and materials

-       If the weather is fine we’ll spend some time each day on a “sketchcrawl” around  St Arnaud- good fun and great for learning how to get information down quickly.

-       This workshop will be suitable for both beginners and those with some experience – and will be (I hope!) both fun and relaxing , class size is limited to six people.

-       Cost is $150 for two days (10am- 4pm). I can arrange materials if required.

-       There are two workshops, one is  October 19th/20th , the second is November 23rd/24th

-      To book your place please email me at  [email protected] or call me on 03 5211999

Christchurch cathedral as it was .....
Last week I found myself there for a week or so helping friends finish repair their garden walls etc. One morning I decided I needed a walk so set off around the neighbouring streets. The media feed us stories about the "rebuild" of Christchurch city, maybe they need to take a stroll through suburbia. This is  a well to do hillside suburb, full of large elegant family homes, both old and new, with a view of the sea, As I toil my way up the hill I pass homes that look undamaged - the odd thing is, one house is fine, the next (built on a similar section of similar materials) is wrecked. Or will be sometime.Some are broken in half. Some are missing a wall.One still has it's chimney strewn across the roof and a wall covered in black plastic- and two cars parked in the drive- yes, they are still living in it waiting for their home to be fixed. Next door a house has been removed, someone's well loved garden is reclaiming the site, selfsown wallflowers spring up everywhere, and the purple echiums are creeping across the drive. Fruit trees are blossoming, unaware that no one is going to be picking the plums this year to make jam.. I pass a bare section,house demolished, with a sign on the drive advertising the architect's studio/home which once stood there- maybe wouldn't recommend his services!I can only imagine how the people who are living in these broken houses feel. I've watched our friends fight a desperate battle with authorities and insurance company to get their home rebuilt- the stress levels have taken huge tolls on health, both mental and physical. So many others are still fighting for this and living in awful conditions. Arguing about rebuilding "icons" seems callous when you see so many families living in these conditions. But everyone I meet says hello cheerfully, so I walk along picking a big bunch of wallflowers and go back  home  to continue moving buckets of gravel....

Here's a painting of an old miner's cottage at Bendigo in Otago - I've just packed this up to go off to South Africa with it's new owner. I feel humble to think that my paintings travel thousands of kilometres to hang in other countries. They're often bought by homesick Kiwi to remind them of New Zealand - so far they're hanging in Britain, Scotland, USA , Canada, China, Dubai and Australia . Sometimes travellers from other countries buy a painting as a memento of New Zealand. Not always- recently two Americans called in and bought a painting of Australia!
It's interesting to chat with these overseas buyers about methods of shipping- most agree that the easies /cheapest way to get their artwork home is to pack it well and take it as excess baggage - much faster than courier /post , and I guess less handling. So, next time you're travelling  and fall in love with a painting - seize the chance to buy it , go looking for bubblewrap and cardboard , and enjoy your memories each time you look at it on your wall!