Well we just love Taranaki, it is a reigon on the West coast of the North Island of NZ that centres around the striking Mount Taranaki. Where ever you go in the reigon, the mountain is just there, in the background, like a kind but strong authority figure who’s just keeping an eye on the goings on . Lots of days its cloudy too and the mountain is blanketed in the sky but it makes it all the more special the next day when it appears again.
Ive been to alot of places in the world but never had the chance to get to know a mountain. it feels good, really good ,to feel connected with the world above and be constantly reminded of the vastness of existence.
We have made a few friends in and around that area in the time we have spent in NZ and most of them are artistic. i actually have made more creative connections in Taranaki than here in the Bay of Plenty.
So I took the opportunity to include myself in a group show in Stratford as part of the Print Council of Aoetearoa New Zealand ( PCANZ)
https://www.percythomsongallery.org.nz/looking-forward-2021/
here are 2 lovely collages that i used all of my powers to get “exhibition ready” and couriered to the gallery in time. “Bursting” and “Passive” based on the studies i have been doing of a San Pedro cactus plant near my house, and in the format set by my “chop” series of work. A series that i hope to grow and expand for many years..
Now on the underside of the mountain live a very special couple, who i have had the pleasure of getting to know via some Glastonbury connections that are just too good to even try to explain on here. They are slowly becoming a very solid part of our whanau and i know that i will learn alot from them both, on many levels in the future.
On the weekend of the PCANZ show opening i organised a very precious child-free weekend and took the coach alone across the north island. the coach trip had some hiccups in it and i ended up hitchhiking and the opening itself was cancelled due to VERY bad storms. But the result was that i spent more time than planned at the far end of Oeo Rd and filled an entire sketchbook up with observational drawings. Which is something i fail to do most of the time as my child tends to block my drawing brain. Drawing is so valuable, using etes is so important. These 2 are experts at it.. what an honour to watch them both at work …
http://www.mariannemuggeridge.nz/
www.rogermorris.nz
