A bit of a gap since my last post. Just life being life and the artists way being the artists way. Swings and round-a-bouts as inspiration ebbs and flows as do the demands of the every day.
I spent the Easter break at the family Bach, a wee cubby hole in a small village just outside Kaikoura on the East coast of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is an idyllic spot with an abundance of plant life that grows profusely in wild abandon. Since my childhood the vines and overgrowth have seemed magical and full of life. Birds, insects and of course elemental fairies who live in all the wild places of Earth.
The Banana Passionfruit is one of the plants that grows wild in the micro- climate of the valley we live in. I think it’s probably categorised as a pest plant because it’s not a native to New Zealand, but it is beautiful and the fruits are sweet, fragrant and delicious. I finally made it the subject matter of one of my drawings. I didn’t actually see the fairy other than in my minds eye.
The birds are an imagination cross breed of a piwakawaka/fantail and a waxeye. Both small birds that live in the bush and have a cheeky, and nosy character. This drawing goes hand in hand with my last one which I haven’t shared here yet titled ‘Tihei Mauri Ora’ or Breath of Life. Both drawings focus on the magical quality of life in wild places. Things felt but not seen.
Smokey Gnome Creative 