Kāpiti artists feature in the NZ Art Show

Kāpiti artists exhibiting at the New Zealand Art Show James Brewer, Ronda Thompson, Kim Kobialko, Vinny Thompson, Lisa Call, Michelle Retimana, Hannah Shand and Hamish Trounson. Photo / Rosalie Willis

Eleven artists from Kāpiti will feature in the annual New Zealand Art Show this Queen's Birthday weekend, with two artists making their NZ Art Show debut.

Each year hundreds of kiwi artists display thousands of works at the show which celebrates New Zealand's diverse and unique artistic community.

With nearly 200 artists featuring, Kāpiti artists are bringing a range of media including textile art, ink pen drawings, painting, encaustic bees wax painting, bronze sculpture, photography, ceramics and palette knife painting.

First time exhibitor Hannah Shand's works are inspired by the birds of Zealandia with her detailed works mostly featuring birds.

Using pencil for a basic outline but challenging herself by mostly using pen, Hannah will explore Zealandia, take photographs of the birds and then draw them.

"I'm excited about exhibiting.

"It will be quite cool having a big audience, and just being there meeting other people, artists and people from galleries."

Photographer Hamish Trounson, another first-time exhibitor is using the show to explore how other people respond to his work.

New to exhibiting his work, he says choosing what works to exhibit has been a challenge.

"Is it about selling or brand awareness? I've done a bit of both, some are more commercial and some are more unique with a limited cliental.

"Often you work so much in your own head that you think its great, or you get really worried and think its not good so this is about opening it up to others.

"It's about opening up my work to others to get a gage on what they think as I've never done it before."

Paraparaumu-based textile artist Lisa Call is looking forward to seeing how people respond to her work.

"It's good to get out there and interesting to see the response from the public and other artists."

"The NZ Art show is probably the most amazing show I've been in in terms of sales," Lisa said, having moved from Philadelphia and not exhibiting much in New Zealand.

"It's unbelievable how much art they sell compared to your typical USA art show. It's very affordable."

A stalwart of the artshow Ronda Thompson has exhibited every year apart from one and is excited as ever to exhibit.

"I just enjoy painting and exhibiting. It's a great show," she said.

"I always say I'll be painting until I'm 90 if I live that long."

Her scenes of the Wellington waterfront crafted with a palette knife make up most of her collection, with a number of others thrown in.

"Being an artist you are quite insular, so it's nice to be able to go to the show.

"It means you get out there and talk to people who appreciate your art and it's just so nice."

Also exhibiting is Kim Kobialko whose encaustic paintings are inspired by climate change, Michelle Retimana with her cirque du soleil-inspired bronze sculptures, self-taught painter James Brewer who has recently made the transition to being an artist fulltime and Vinny Thompson whose works are mostly based on Wellington scenes.

"They are all about connecting people to their environment," Vinny said.

"I love it when people react to the work. They see it and it invokes memories and we have this connection."

Also making the trip down the coast from Kāpiti are David Owen, Adele Souster and Sebastian Jaunas.

For more information about show visit www.artshow.co.nz