First it was fast cars, now there's another sign that the economy is on the up: the booming art market. Leading NZ auction house Webbs says 31,000 items went under the hammer this year, raking in $17m.

Don Brash has just finished writing a book evaluating his successes and failures.

Two more never-before-seen paintings by Rolling Stone Keith Richards created while he recuperated from brain surgery in New Zealand have surfaced.

After working as an artist part-time for a couple of years, Allan Wrath decided in February to give it his full attention.

A novel approach to reading has kids blogging and commenting online about what should happen next in books - and authors follow the instructions.

A never-before-seen painting by Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards has been stashed in a drawer in a swanky Auckland bed and breakfast for the past seven years.

A mural stenciled on the side of a Hollywood gas station five years ago by the British street artist Banksy has fetched more than $200,000 at a Beverly Hills auction.

A Picasso valued at US$1 million ($1.2 million) is the prize in an unprecedented online Christmas charity raffle.

It may look like a photograph of actor Morgan Freeman, but this picture is a painting of the actor done using an iPad.

The biggest art auction of the year will be held in Auckland tonight with artworks totalling $3 million going under the hammer.

The words stand-up comedian and sold-out stadium hardly ever appear in that same sentence in this country, but comedy mega-star Michael McIntyre regularly fills Britain's largest venues and he had no trouble packing out the Vector Arena.