The Monday Q&A: Freyja Wrigglesworth on David Attenborough, painting, and weird utensils

Freyja Wrigglesworth with the landscape seen from her kitchen window. Photo / Mike Tweed

Artist Freyja Wriggles worth recently unveiled her first solo exhibition - Birds capes - at the Fine Arts gallery on Taupo Quay.

It is part of the prize for winning the gallery's $1000 Whanganui Young Artist competition.

She spoke to Mike Tweed.

Are you still keeping up with your mission of one completing one artwork every day?

I'm spilling the beans here but no I haven't. That has enabled me to focus on better quality art though, instead of lots of art. I've been looking at my progress, especially in class, and thinking 'Wow, these are pretty good'.

What is your favourite thing to do in Whanganui?

Eating ice cream with weird utensils at the top of Durie Hill tower. Me and my friends go up on a Friday after school. What kind of weird utensils? We've used forks and chopsticks, and there are wooden knives and stir sticks coming up this week.

Who are other local artists and creatives you admire or look up to?

I think it's because I've been stuck with him for three years, but I would say Mr (Graham) Hall at High School. I'm not the best a printmaking but he is very inspiring with what he does, and very good at pushing me to places where my art hasn't gone before.

What is an event from history you would most like to have been at?

It would have been amazing to go along on and help out on the first David Attenborough documentaries and see all those different species and environments first-hand. It would have been really eye-opening.

How did you tackle your first solo exhibition? Was it a case of looking through what you already had or starting from scratch?

Definitely a combination of the two. Some, with watercolour and pen, were done ahead of time but there is another series with interesting canvas shapes. My goal was to intertwine some of them and create a theme of birds and landscapes. Then it was a case of smoosh ing the two (series) together.

Will you be pursuing a career in arts once your school life has finished?

Of course. I really want to be a university instructor in it. That's my goal at the moment. I would love to teach people who are enthusiastic on the subject how to improve or just grow to better places. Working at a university means I would get a break during semesters too. My immediate goal is to study fine arts in Christchurch.

After Birds capes is wrapped up, what will be your next art project?

That would be the 40 Hour Famine, where I'm going to paint 40 artworks in 40 hours. That's in the first weekend of July. They can't be just rough sketches either, they have to be paintings. A lot of effort will go into each and every one of them.

Are there any other mediums you would want to explore?

"I've got oil pastels and graphite, and while I've tried them before I haven't put a lot of time into it. That's next on the list, to get better at that. I'd love to be able to sculpt a life-sized cat as well.

In your opinion, how much of being an artist is talent and how much is practice/perseverance?

I feel like you need a lot of practice and a lot of time. There needs to be a willpower to persevere. When I started, they (the works) were terrifying. I drew every day for a good three years and it led to me being able to create art I'm proud of. That is the most amazing feeling.

How would you like to see Whanganui in 50 years?

I hope this happens way before then, but as an artist it would be good to have an art supplies shop here. Being able to have the experience of buying paint in my own town would be amazing. I would always say yes to more murals around the place too.

Having more native life growing at the beach would also be great. I love the idea of going to the beach and enjoying the native plants without being interrupted by dead fish from fisherman or bikers hooning down the beach.

*Birdscapes is on display at 17 Taupo Quay until July 14.