ISOLATION PIECE
JUNE 21, 2020
At the beginning of lockdown I embarked on this ambitious project which I knew could keep me busy in isolation for the unpredictable weeks ahead of me. This triptych is comprised of three A4 woodblock panels, starting with the key block and then creating three more blocks to add colours. The style references Japanese woodblocks, known as ukiyo-e, where three blocks were frequently used to depict a narrative, often including animals, birds and landscapes.
The subject was inspired by the fascinating story where in 1925 a female leopard escaped Auckland Zoo. For three weeks the public feared for their lives, locking themselves inside and even taking up arms in case they came face-to-face with the “spotted fury”. Her reign of terror ended when she was found by a group of fishermen, drowned and floating at the mouth of the Tamaki river near Karaka Bay.
This work speaks to the fragility of the ecosystems that make up our natural environment and the responsibility society has to take action to protect them. The Tamaki Estuary gives food and shelter to thousands of endemic and international migratory birds. Many of these species, including the banded dotterel, Eastern bar-tailed godwit, royal spoonbill and pied shag, are under threat due to increased human activity. The fact that little is done when the detriment of our actions is clear as day, raises the question of whether it’s in our human nature to make drastic change in the face of danger that doesn’t affect us directly. Or can a leopard indeed change it’s spots?
IL BISONTE – PART 2
MARCH 25, 2020
When all schools were declared closed on 11 March I had been determined to stay and use the “one month” lockdown to catch up on researching, sketching and carving new woodblocks – why not? the spring blossoms were starting to appear, the days were getting warmer and the wine shop on my street was still open so I decided to hunker down and see it through.
Despite my optimism, I couldn’t ignore the fact that things were getting much more tense. Looking out my window I could see police handing out fines to people without the correct paperwork and everyday something else would be closed – the park, then the cycleway. So on 19 March (my birthday!) when I heard that Il Bisonte would be closed for a further month and possibly longer I took it as my cue to get out, which became a mad dash to the airport in Rome, collected from my home at 5am by a driver coordinated by the NZ embassy to get me on what turned out to be the last flight out.
Now that I’m in quarantine, it’s a great time to reflect on everything I’ve learned so far at Il Bisonte and what I want to pursue further when all this madness has passed and I can return once again to that magical studio. As you can see from the print above, I’ve been trying to cram as many techniques as possible onto one plate, which resulted in:
Learning 1 – The more techniques you use on one plate the more difficult it is to ink and print. For this one I only used tartlan to gently clean the plate as the paper removed too much ink.
Learning 2 – Although I love the effect of aquatint, the whole toxic aspect stresses me out resulting in me having to re-do it too many times. The best tip has been to use spray paint (Montana black with soft cap) instead, which I know is still toxic, but feels more managable to me. You can also spray to achieve nice shading and a shadow effect, which would be harder with stop out and a brush.
Learning 3 – Sugar lift (used for the moon) is a very satisfying technique that I’m looking forward to exploring further. I Love the texture and how you can make the blacks darker by applying an aquatint. And the fact you’re just using sugar – how cool is that!?
Learning 4 – Patience is a much needed virtue for etching. I etched most my lines with a porcupine quill, taking about 4 hours to scratch in the image and then another 4 hours in the acid bath. After the first proof I thought I’d add some more of those lovely squiggly lines to build up some depth and scratched away for another 4 hours or so, and into a stronger acid for a shorter time. But because I hadn’t checked that the line had etched before removing the hard ground – none of those millions of littles lines had showed up. Big learning!
Learning 5 – Spit bite (used on the leaves) isn’t a technique for me, not only is it extremely toxic, but the shading is too soft for what I want to achieve. As my professoressa says it’s like a snail trail and not her cup of tea either.
Learning 6 – Drypoint is a great way to create some shading and darker tones to your plate, as well as blend some of the hard lines created by the etching. For me, it really enhanced the image.
The final learning, that applies to all my prints, is not to judge as soon as you print it. After spending close to 25 hours on this plate I pulled the print and immediately felt disappointed, which often happens with me and my work. I think it’s like when you spend all day preparing a meal, the last thing you want to do is eat it, it’s like you’ve spent so much time focusing on it you can see all its little imperfections. Some of my classmates said I needed to rework it and others thought I shouldn’t touch it at all. So, I put it away in my draw and a week later came back to it and now I absolutely love it! What do you think?
IL BISONTE – FOUNDATION FOR ART AND PRINTMAKING
JANUARY 31, 2020
Happy New Year everyone! So far 2020 has been like a dream, getting to work every morning in the Il Bisonte Printmaking studio in Florence alongside talented print people, technicians and tutors. It’s been such a challenge being completely out of my comfort zone of relief printing and learning all about etching and the many techniques that come under the umbrella of this process, such as aquatint, Gum arabic, chine Cole, dry-point, spit-bite, soft ground……..the list is endless! I’ve got total FOMO and want to try everything all at once.
This print above is my first multi-technique etching using hard ground, gum arabic and aquatint. A lot of work yet to do on it but was thrilled to discover I can achieve similar poetics of bold lines, shapes and patters, which attracts me to woodblock and stencils. There is so much I’m learning everyday and not just technically but how to get the different elements of the image to speak to each other and embody an idea.
And just when I think – hey, that’s quite good, my tutors show me something even more mind-blowingly beautiful that makes me want to try again and keep pushing my boundaries.
So, yeah, probably won’t have heaps of time for updates for the next 6 months while Im on this journey, but I’ll keep you all updated on FB and insta.
PCANZ PRINT EXCHANGE
OCTOBER 22, 2019
Coffee pots have always fascinated me as objects of daily worship and ritual. Here in Sicily, every house has at least 6 different ones of various sizes; a favourite one, one for the morning, one for after lunch, one for visitors…….
This one is currently on display at the Arotai Museum of Art and History, Wairarapa as part of an exhibition organised by the NZ Print Council. The proceeds will fund a scholarship for an emerging print artist to attend the upcoming PCANZ summer school in Christchurch. All prints are just NZ$100! Mine has already sold, but there are many other gorgeous prints to ooh and aah over! If you can’t make it, you can get one online http://www.printcouncil.nz/printexchage
TESTE DI MORO (MOORISH HEADS)
FEBRUARY 20, 2019
Finished carving two woodblocks today inspired by a 900 year old Sicilian legend which I particularly love as it encapsulates so many aspects of this island that I love, the many layers of multi-cultural history, the passion and the endless element of surprise. There are several versions, but this is my favourite, as it’s set in Palermo!
One day, a beautiful and honorable young girl living in the Kalsa, the Arabic district of Palermo, was tending to the plants and flowers in the balcony when suddenly, a Moor merchant who was passing by saw her and fell in love with the beautiful girl who immediately returned his love.
They started having a love affair until one day she discovered he had a wife and children waiting for him in his native land. She was overcome with jealousy and one night she thought of a way to make him stay with her forever……while he was sleeping, she cut off his head and cleverly decided to use it as a vase to grow her beautiful basil plant.
People walking below her balcony started looking at her flourishing basil plants and became jealous of the size and fragrance of her plants, so they began to forge colourful clay heads pots wishing to have the same magic green thumb.
Now, these ceramic heads can be seen all over Sicily, in all shapes and sizes.
POWER JACKET!
OCTOBER 23, 2018
I’ve been thinking about creating some prints of slippers for some time now and jumped at the opportunity to create my first “pair” to commemorate 125 years of women’s suffrage in New Zealand, using one of my favourite sayings and to honour all the women who have had to fight for equality, and still are.
The opening night was a real thrill, as my jacket sold even before it got off the catwalk! Got to try it on briefly before handing it over to its happy new owner. Thanks to the wonderful vision and talent of curator Colleen Pugh, this show raised $1,300 for Women’s Refuge.
FOREST HAS THE BLUES
This fantastic collaborative project, curated by Celia Walker and Toni Hartill, brought together 7 print artists from Auckland and Pukekohe High School to create a large-scale print installation of native trees and invasive weeds, complete with real native seedlings that visitors could take home and plant in their garden. The exhibition has had a lot of positive feedback and future venues to exhibit already in the pipeline. Toni Hartill’s stunning moth plant is featured on the cover of the Australia Print Council imprint magazine (Spring 2018) with a 5-page article written by Celia Walker.
CORBAN ESTATE KIDS ART PROGRAM
OCTOBER 23, 2018 |
Its a real buzz seeing kids creating art – their enthusiasm for creating is contagious! I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to do a few workshops out at Corbans Estate Arts Centre this year. You should definitely check out their programs if you have a little budding artist in the family!
KIWI DIARY 2018
OCTOBER 23, 2018
This great initiative from Wellington-based Entrepreneurs Annabel Wilson and Freda Wells to create a diary full of art, poetry, stories and recipes, features a contribution from me this year! To be able to write about my two loves – printmaking and cultural anthropology, and have it published, was a real buzz. You can order online @ http://www.thekiwidiary.co.nz
WHITIANGA – WEEKEND WORKSHOP
OCTOBER 23, 2018 |
It was a pleasure to be invited by Mint Gallery in Whitianga to do a weekend workshop with the wonderful creatives there. Some gorgeous prints were produced in just a few hours and there was such a lovely range of styles and imagery. Thanks to PCANZ (Print Council NZ) for hiring out their press, it meant we could make multiple prints in a short amount of time. Looking forward to going back!
PRINTAPALOOZA
OCTOBER 14, 2018 |
Finished board that makes up a larger 12 piece board to be printed with a steam roller at Te Kowhai Print Studios, Whangarei! Awesome project to bring our printmaking community together and make something BIG!! Colab pieces are always a great opportunity to explore new subject matter, so enjoyed carving this beautiful native dragonfly.
PAINTERLY PRINTMAKING
NOVEMBER 12, 2017 |
Had a wonderful weekend exploring possibilities with layering woodblock plates to make colorful textured images. Our tutor, Gary Shinfield, shared his practice with us, using Indian inks on thin Japanese paper to free-sketch a reduction of a landscape, we then pasted it onto a thin pice of maple wood ply before carving it out.
We also etched Lino using wax with caustic soda which gave a fantastic finish and opened the door for many exciting directions in future explorations with etching……watch this space!
ART PLUS FESTIVAL – ART AUCTION
OCTOBER 26, 2017 |
December 1st – 3rd is the Art Plus Festival; a fundraising event for Birkenhead Primary School, where my work Kete (below) will be for sale alongside other artists from across the country, as well as workshops, entertainment, and a cocktail gala opening night! Fantastic event to check out if you’re in Auckland that weekend.
For more info on what’s on and to purchase tickets visit: www.artplusfestival.org
A STORY OF MIGRATION
AUGUST 22, 2017 |
Being a first generation Kiwi, the intrigue and complexity in which my ancestors moved across Europe, from Europe to America, from New Zealand to America and back again, has frequently consumed my thoughts regarding my identity and sense of place. The immigrant experience has been part of almost every generation of my family, motivated by many reasons, although predominantly in search of a better life.
Here are some of their stories.
PRAGUE
To avoid being drafted into the Austro-Hungarian Army, Janus Varkondi was sent to live in America by his mother, a businesswoman living in Prague. He was just 14 years old. Once he had established himself, he returned to Czechoslovakia to find a wife to settle with him on a farm near Philadelphia, where they had seven children, the youngest being my maternal grandmother. The children were forbidden to speak their native language at home their names, John and Susanne Varconda, were Anglicised in an attempt to assimilate into American culture like many other immigrants of that time.
ELLIS ISLAND
My great grandfather was one of the 12 million immigrants who entered America through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. This is not surprising as it is believed that about a third of all Americans have at least one ancestor who was processed through Ellis Island. What is more shocking is that many were children travelling without a guardian, including my great grandfather who was barely a teenager at 14 years old.
CHRISTCHURCH
Many generations ago my ancestors left London to settle in Christchurch. Their son worked for the railways as an engineer like his father had. He was a keen cornetist and founded the Addington Railway Workshop Band to escape the monotony and boredom of his day job. His oldest son refused to face the same fate as his father and set off to seek his fame and fortune as a jazz musician in America. He died in WWII and his name can be seen in the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
SAN FRANCISCO
Beulah Long was working in her father’s coffee shop in San Francisco when a tall, handsome Jazz musician from Christchurch came in for a coffee. A few years later my grandfather was born and his oldest daughter, my mother, boarded the Canberra Ocean Liner in 1972 to set sail from San Francisco to explore and reconnect with her New Zealand roots. She still lives here today.
LONDON
My grandfather was doing an Economics degree in London when WWII broke out. Being a German Jew, going home wasn’t an option. He signed up to fight along side the British, changed his name from Hirschberg to Haggard and married an English woman. He never lost his accent, but always insisted he was from ‘Southern England’ when asked where he was from. His first son, my father, emigrated to Aotearoa in the 60s and is still here today.
BERLIN
When my great grandparents were forced to leave Berlin just before WWII they left behind them a life of great privilege and wealth. The adjustment they had to undergo as refugees was monumental. They were treated with suspicion because of their strong German accents, making it impossible to find work. My great grandmother, who had never had to work a day in her life, had to learn how to lay a fire and boil an egg. Her brother, who had been a talented architect and designer with the Bauhaus, could never pursue his career in England and instead taught art to inmates at a local prison. Her son changed his family name.
All prints are available from Endemicworld, 62 Ponsonby Road, Auckland
BLOWOUT
JUNE 21, 2017 |
I’m very excited to announce my first solo show – BLOWOUT.
I have been lucky enough to receive sponsorship from Maison Vauron and L’atellier du fromage, so come have a glass or two of French wine and some cheese to celebrate with me on Friday, 4 August!
The artworks presented will invite viewers to reflect on the issue of immigration; how should immigrants be perceived and treated and what part has immigration played in their own family’s history and identity.
FROM THE RIVERS TO THE SHORE
MAY 13, 2017
Proud to be part of this exhibition, curated by Celia Walker, that highlights the plight of migratory birds and their environment in Aotearoa, many of which are endangered due to loss off habitat. My print, “Ahipara”, was inspired by the three dotterel chicks that survived at this Far North beach thanks to the amazing response by the community who united to protect the nests and educate visitors against all odds.
You can check it out at The Oxford Art Galley in Christchurch in June and at the Depot Artspace in Auckland in July (opening, Saturday 29 June
Vie du Pacific
January 13, 2016
Was invited to participate in an international print exchange between several print studios around the Pacific Ocean, hence the title: Vie du Pacific. It opens this month in Brisbane, home to Migaloo Press which organised this project as part of the Print Council of Australia’s 50 years of print. It will tour 5 different venues in South East Queensland, then to participating countries: Japan, The Philippines, Canada, The USA, Vanuatu and Hawaii. We’ll have a chance to see it here in January at The Eastuary Arts Centre, Orewa. Will keep you posted!
The theme of the exhibition includes examining environmental concerns for the region. Climate change is one of biggest threats and the mighty mangrove has the amazing ability to reduce the effects of this, as well as having many social and economic benefits. Unfortunately, they are disappearing at an alarming rate across the Pacific due to the encroachment of residential and tourist developments along our seashores.
Air New Zealand In Flight Magazine
September 2, 2016
Was a real buzz to see one of my prints in Air NZ ‘s inflight magazine Kia Ora. Thanks #AirNewZealand for supporting NZ artists!!
Prints in new Ponsonby gallery
July 22, 2016
If you love original art prints at an affordable price then you would have heard of Endemicworld; the shop/gallery/online store dedicated to promoting the work of NZ artists both here and abroad.
My latest cactus and succulent series have been well received, thanks in part to the guys at endemic’s superb framing, and have just about all sold out!
To have a look you’ll have to drop in to their store @ 62 Ponsonby Road or keep an eye on their website for new work:
Drypoint Etching with Alexis Neal
June 26, 2016
So pleased to have had the chance to explore the possibilities of drypoint etching with master printmaker Alexis Neal at Kumeu Arts Centre. Learnt a lot is a very short time. Thanks Creative Communities for funding this amazing workshop!
Michael Tuffery, Summer School, Cobans Art Centre
January, 20 2016
I was lucky enough to have the amazing opportunity to be inspired during a 4-day course with Master printmaker Michel Tuffery. I Learnt about multi-block and rotation block printing, how to create depth, texture and greys through different cutting techniques. This is what I came up with…….
Retro Aloe
November 28, 2015
As part of a recent exhibition at the Lakehouse, Takapuna, I was invited to explore ideas relating to heritage, which resulted in a series of cactus and succulent plants potted in quirky vessels, commonly part of most homes in Aotearoa.This is an Aloe in a Royal Doulton mug.
