Artist Prue Hooper dies three days before Waverley exhibition

Waverley artist the late Prue Hooper. photo/Basil Hooper

Prue Hooper's art exhibition at the Waverley Library took months to plan but sadly Prue died three days before it opened on Thursday, July 20.

Her son, Basil Hooper, who farms the family farm at Ngutuwera, near Waitotara, said his mum, aged 91, had been in care at the Trinity Home in Hawera for the past six months.

"We were looking forward to taking mum to the opening of her exhibition but even though I hoped she would make it, she got the flu. I knew days before she wasn't going to make it. She was very ill. I'm still sad she missed the opening and didn't see her paintings hung. They look wonderful.''

Prue had lived in the area all her life on the family farm then in Wereroa Rd, where she had a small wooden stall at her gate and sold posies of flowers and plants.

The small bunches of flowers were in jars and there was an honesty box for people who stopped to buy a bunch.

"I always remember mum finding a $100 in an envelope from a man, who said he'd felt really bad because he taken flowers over a year and never left any money. She was pleased and angry at the same time.

"She always knew when she had been swindled. She always knew when people hadn't left money and it used to aggravate her. But she kept on putting the flowers out."

Basil said his mother had studied fine arts, and was a member of art societies in South Taranaki and Wanganui.

"The Gorge" by Prue Hooper. photo/lin ferguson

The exhibition of her work at the Waverley Library was organised by Basil and it also features a large framed portrait photograph of Prue, taken by Basil last Christmas.

"I'm a very keen photographer and Mum hated having her photograph taken but I just knelt in front of her when she was sitting in the garden and took it. You can see by her eyes she wasn't that keen. I'm so pleased I did. It won a major prize at the Wanganui Camera Club."

Though Prue was well known in Waverley she wasn't a very social person, Basil said.

"She always just did her own thing really. She wasn't one for being out and about in the community."

She was mother to five children, had seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

"We're all very proud of Mum and are thrilled the library let us have this special exhibition," Basil said.

"The way they have lit the paintings is just beautiful."