Shedding light on gifted artists

WORKING as a jewellery designer in Indiana, American Meg Auth had dreamed of coming to New Zealand for almost 20 years.
A quarter of a century ago, Auth had been given a coffee table book about New Zealand by some visiting Kiwis.
"We thought, that's definitely going to be on the list for
 travelling."
Five years ago Auth and husband Jerry Thoma finally made it - and it was "love at first sight". As part of their pilgrimage, the couple travelled to Hahei to visit Cathedral Cove. They loved the area so much they decided to buy a property. Now they spend almost half their time there, returning to America during the New Zealand winter, and Auth crafts her jewellery in a tiny
studio with a sea view.
"I really love it here. We actually like it better here than at home," the softly spoken artist said.
"I love the nature."
Auth believes it's the natural beauty and peace of the Coromandel  that draws so many artists from  New Zealand and overseas to live and work there.
"It's so amazing, it's like a little art climate. I actually feel more creative here.
"It's just so beautiful. It's quiet and peaceful. I don't know how to describe it - you can live your own lifestyle."
Auth's own work has changed a lot since she began working  in New Zealand.
"I started out doing the spiral because everyone here does that.
"I started incorporating shells from Lonely Bay.
"Then I discovered that I love fishing and a lot of my work is based on fish."
Her passion is contagious, so it's no surprise that Auth is keen to open up her Hahei jewellery studio to the public for the Mercury Bay Art Escape.
The escape, now in its fourth year, is a rare chance for art lovers to see artists at work in their own studios and workshops. In Auth's case, tiny pliers and tools are scattered on a workbench which looks over a million dollar view of the marine reserve and Mahurangi Island. It's a fascinating glimpse into the creation of Auth's beautiful jewellery, sold in  America and New Zealand.
"It's to really see the studio and how the artists work," Auth says.
"Being a jeweller, it's a tool and dye job. They can see how I work with metals and saws, and grinders and acids. It's creative and mechanical."
 Apart from other jewellers like Auth, painters, printmakers, potters, sculptors and fabric artists have all opened up their studios for the trail.
And of course an added benefit of the tour is taking in some of New Zealand's most beautiful scenery and beaches at the height of summer.
The artists' hideaways are tucked away in some of the peninsula's most beautiful spots, including Tairua, Whenuakite, Hahei, Cooks Beach, Whitianga, Kuaotunu and Otama.
The escape  has stepped up a notch under the involvement of Jerry Thoma, Auth's husband, as chair.
For the first time, the arts tour on the Coromandel Peninsula will take place over two weekends instead of one weekend. And there are 39 artists involved - up from 22 last last year.
The event, which covers an area from Tairua to Otama Beach, also includes gallery exhibitions and music events.
Down the hill from Auth's studio is well-known Hahei artist Jill Cameron.
Cameron has also been drawn to the Coromandel from overseas.
After holidaying there as a child, the former Aucklander returned to the only place that felt like home after spending half a lifetime in America.
"I was painting Hahei as a little girl, probably at seven or eight," Cameron says.
"I knew every rock and stone here - it was like coming home."
Cameron, who works in watercolour, acrylic and ink, paints only scenes from Hahei, Cathedral Cove, Hotwater Beach "and a few of Cooks Beach and Flaxmill Bay".
The artist, who speaks with a hybrid Kiwi-American accent, describes the area's art scene as going through a renaissance.
She was more than happy to open up her studio for the escape - after all, it's open to the public almost every day of the year.
Cameron paints for her audience, and she knows what they want.
"I paint because I think everybody should be able to afford to buy a painting. Art is for enjoying for everybody.
"Eighty per cent of my paintings go overseas. I get great satisfaction from young people that come from England and Ireland and South Africa. They just want to take something home.
"I don't particularly do abstracts, I do impressionistic things that look real because that's what people look for."
Tairua wood carver Tim Aldrich is another import who's found his creative side enriched since moving to the Coromandel.
Aldrich swapped London life as a builder for a more relaxed lifestyle four years ago.
He'd always carved wood, but this year he's been devoting more and more time to his craft.
"In the winter, work went really quiet, it died completely.
"I look on that as a positive, and got lots more wood and spent more time carving, which I'd always wanted to do.
"It's given me more time, not always intentionally, to do the wood, and more family time."
Aldrich's workshop is a bench  in his garage, framed by wetsuits hanging up ready for the next surf.
His work is inspired by the Coromandel coastline, though he's always been fascinated with fish.
"I walk around the beach and get ideas all the time living here. I get the snorkel out."
he's looking forward to opening up his workshop  and meeting people who want to hear about his work, which includes eagle rays, fish, bowls and faces.
"If I carve something, you can tell people the history of the timber and where it came from."
Also in Tairua you'll find the tucked-away treasure of the Little Gallery of Fine Art.
Featuring the work of Aldrich and other Coromandel artists, the gallery was opened on Labour Weekend by local businesswoman Andrea Johnson and artist Paula McNeill.
"Paula and I together just felt that there was a need for something like this in the area," said Johnson. .
"There were a lot of artists that didn't have somewhere beautiful to exhibit their work.
"I can see it building and getting better and better. We've had a lot of support, I'm kind of blown away by that."
Johnson says people like to see artists at work, and encourages them to bring it to the gallery, which is run on a cooperative basis. Another fantastic place to see work by multiple artists all at once is Moko Gallery in Hot Water Beach.
The gallery, run by Simon Buchanan and Sonya Corlett, features work from artists from all over New Zealand, and has even featured in the Lonely Planet. "So many people come to the Coromandel. We get people from all over the world coming in, just from word of mouth," Buchanan says. Featuring garden art, jewellery, ceramic wall tiles and other artworks, Moko has work from 15-20 Coromandel artists.
The art escape is a "good boost" for the region's artworks, Buchanan said.
Boosting  Mercury Bay' artists is something that Dave Fowell has been doing for years. Fowell is "pretty well famous in the Coromandel", according to one local artist. A painter and sculptor, he ran the Eggcentric Cafe in Flaxmill Bay for years, and it was Fowell who first organised the art escape. Artists "are not the best organisers", he said, and need support to help market their work.
"The whole idea of it was for the artists to meet people, so they are able to stay here and continue working in the arts. These are important people in our community who are very successful in what they do, but they are not recognised."

 The Mercury Bay Art Escape, February 26-28 and March 5-7. www.mercurybayartescape.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WORKING as a jewellery designer in Indiana, American Meg Auth had dreamed of coming to New Zealand for almost 20 years.
A quarter of a century ago, Auth had been given a coffee table book about New Zealand by some visiting Kiwis.
"We thought, that's definitely going to be on the list for
 travelling."
Five years ago Auth and husband Jerry Thoma finally made it - and it was "love at first sight". As part of their pilgrimage, the couple travelled to Hahei to visit Cathedral Cove. They loved the area so much they decided to buy a property. Now they spend almost half their time there, returning to America during the New Zealand winter, and Auth crafts her jewellery in a tiny
studio with a sea view.
"I really love it here. We actually like it better here than at home," the softly spoken artist said.
"I love the nature."
Auth believes it's the natural beauty and peace of the Coromandel  that draws so many artists from  New Zealand and overseas to live and work there.
"It's so amazing, it's like a little art climate. I actually feel more creative here.
"It's just so beautiful. It's quiet and peaceful. I don't know how to describe it - you can live your own lifestyle."
Auth's own work has changed a lot since she began working  in New Zealand.
"I started out doing the spiral because everyone here does that.
"I started incorporating shells from Lonely Bay.
"Then I discovered that I love fishing and a lot of my work is based on fish."
Her passion is contagious, so it's no surprise that Auth is keen to open up her Hahei jewellery studio to the public for the Mercury Bay Art Escape.
The escape, now in its fourth year, is a rare chance for art lovers to see artists at work in their own studios and workshops. In Auth's case, tiny pliers and tools are scattered on a workbench which looks over a million dollar view of the marine reserve and Mahurangi Island. It's a fascinating glimpse into the creation of Auth's beautiful jewellery, sold in  America and New Zealand.
"It's to really see the studio and how the artists work," Auth says.
"Being a jeweller, it's a tool and dye job. They can see how I work with metals and saws, and grinders and acids. It's creative and mechanical."
 Apart from other jewellers like Auth, painters, printmakers, potters, sculptors and fabric artists have all opened up their studios for the trail.
And of course an added benefit of the tour is taking in some of New Zealand's most beautiful scenery and beaches at the height of summer.
The artists' hideaways are tucked away in some of the peninsula's most beautiful spots, including Tairua, Whenuakite, Hahei, Cooks Beach, Whitianga, Kuaotunu and Otama.
The escape  has stepped up a notch under the involvement of Jerry Thoma, Auth's husband, as chair.
For the first time, the arts tour on the Coromandel Peninsula will take place over two weekends instead of one weekend. And there are 39 artists involved - up from 22 last last year.
The event, which covers an area from Tairua to Otama Beach, also includes gallery exhibitions and music events.
Down the hill from Auth's studio is well-known Hahei artist Jill Cameron.
Cameron has also been drawn to the Coromandel from overseas.
After holidaying there as a child, the former Aucklander returned to the only place that felt like home after spending half a lifetime in America.
"I was painting Hahei as a little girl, probably at seven or eight," Cameron says.
"I knew every rock and stone here - it was like coming home."
Cameron, who works in watercolour, acrylic and ink, paints only scenes from Hahei, Cathedral Cove, Hotwater Beach "and a few of Cooks Beach and Flaxmill Bay".
The artist, who speaks with a hybrid Kiwi-American accent, describes the area's art scene as going through a renaissance.
She was more than happy to open up her studio for the escape - after all, it's open to the public almost every day of the year.
Cameron paints for her audience, and she knows what they want.
"I paint because I think everybody should be able to afford to buy a painting. Art is for enjoying for everybody.
"Eighty per cent of my paintings go overseas. I get great satisfaction from young people that come from England and Ireland and South Africa. They just want to take something home.
"I don't particularly do abstracts, I do impressionistic things that look real because that's what people look for."
Tairua wood carver Tim Aldrich is another import who's found his creative side enriched since moving to the Coromandel.
Aldrich swapped London life as a builder for a more relaxed lifestyle four years ago.
He'd always carved wood, but this year he's been devoting more and more time to his craft.
"In the winter, work went really quiet, it died completely.
"I look on that as a positive, and got lots more wood and spent more time carving, which I'd always wanted to do.
"It's given me more time, not always intentionally, to do the wood, and more family time."
Aldrich's workshop is a bench  in his garage, framed by wetsuits hanging up ready for the next surf.
His work is inspired by the Coromandel coastline, though he's always been fascinated with fish.
"I walk around the beach and get ideas all the time living here. I get the snorkel out."
he's looking forward to opening up his workshop  and meeting people who want to hear about his work, which includes eagle rays, fish, bowls and faces.
"If I carve something, you can tell people the history of the timber and where it came from."
Also in Tairua you'll find the tucked-away treasure of the Little Gallery of Fine Art.
Featuring the work of Aldrich and other Coromandel artists, the gallery was opened on Labour Weekend by local businesswoman Andrea Johnson and artist Paula McNeill.
"Paula and I together just felt that there was a need for something like this in the area," said Johnson. .
"There were a lot of artists that didn't have somewhere beautiful to exhibit their work.
"I can see it building and getting better and better. We've had a lot of support, I'm kind of blown away by that."
Johnson says people like to see artists at work, and encourages them to bring it to the gallery, which is run on a cooperative basis. Another fantastic place to see work by multiple artists all at once is Moko Gallery in Hot Water Beach.
The gallery, run by Simon Buchanan and Sonya Corlett, features work from artists from all over New Zealand, and has even featured in the Lonely Planet. "So many people come to the Coromandel. We get people from all over the world coming in, just from word of mouth," Buchanan says. Featuring garden art, jewellery, ceramic wall tiles and other artworks, Moko has work from 15-20 Coromandel artists.
The art escape is a "good boost" for the region's artworks, Buchanan said.
Boosting  Mercury Bay' artists is something that Dave Fowell has been doing for years. Fowell is "pretty well famous in the Coromandel", according to one local artist. A painter and sculptor, he ran the Eggcentric Cafe in Flaxmill Bay for years, and it was Fowell who first organised the art escape. Artists "are not the best organisers", he said, and need support to help market their work.
"The whole idea of it was for the artists to meet people, so they are able to stay here and continue working in the arts. These are important people in our community who are very successful in what they do, but they are not recognised."

 The Mercury Bay Art Escape, February 26-28 and March 5-7. www.mercurybayartescape.com