Artist Heather Wilson and her Big Apple art piece titled Malus Domestica in homage to the many Hawke's Bay apple trees. Photo / Paul Taylor
Artist Heather Wilson and her Big Apple art piece titled Malus Domestica in homage to the many Hawke's Bay apple trees. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay multimedia artist Heather Wilson is tackling The Big Apple Project, one apple at a time.
One of 20 artists selected for a mass participation public art trail event, Wilson is leaning right into the apple theme.
Titling her one cubic metre fibreglass apple Malus Domestica, meaning "apple tree," the giant apple is covered in more than 40 varieties of apples grown in Hawke's Bay for export.
Coming from a nutritionist background, the full-time artist has always been attracted to painting apples.
"I was so excited to be chosen for the Big Apple and went to town on this design," she said.
This is the original design Heather Wilson submitted to Arts Inc Heretaunga and Studio Benega when applying to be chosen for The Big Apple Project. Photo / Supplied
After eight years working in the food industry as a nutrition food safety and labelling adviser, the Taradale resident decided to become a full-time artist in 2003.
One of Wilson's first galleries was the Wine Country Gallery in Havelock North, where she had several exhibitions in the early 2000s.
With several national art shows under her belt and many local exhibits, Wilson was excited about the challenge of working on the three-dimensional apple.
When asked why she applied for The Big Apple Project, Wilson said, "I realised that I wanted to get more involved with what is going on in my own patch."
As an artist, she spends most of her time working outside Hawke's Bay and wanted to take on the project to become part of the art scene here.
Wilson is a mixed media artist specialising in bold, colourful acrylics, textural and resin effects and is incorporating these on her colourful apple.
Heather Wilson working on a few touch-ups before her apple is ready to be put on display in the Hastings CBD. Photo / Paul Taylor
"The thought of working on a three-dimensional object on a large scale was challenging and I like a challenge," she said.
The artist's apple will join the other 19 art pieces to be part of an art trail event through the Hastings CBD.
The event is brought to Hastings by Arts Inc Heretaunga, Studio Benega and the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival and funded by Hastings District Council. It will transform the streets, parks and public spaces into a fun, free art gallery, taking people on a journey of discovery for a few weeks from mid-August to October 2022. This will be followed by a public auction at the 2022 Hawke's Bay Art Festival.
It is expected that the Big Apples will end up in private art collections or local businesses wanting to own a unique representation and celebration of Hawke's Bay creativity and a great local industry.
You can find out more information about The Big Apple Project at: The Big Apple Project
