Ngatahi - NZ Art Giuld collaborative project 2009

Each year the NZ Art Guild does a collaborative project which is made up of a number of small pieces by individual artists which all together form one larger image. This year I will once again be painting 2 pieces for this, and this is one of them. I can't show the other piece yet as it is a critical piece for the overall image and I think it would let the cat out of the bag so to speak if I did.

This is Shag Rock, down on Sumner beach in Christchurch. The title of the Collaborative project is Ngatahi (which means Together in Maori) and the theme is Our Land. Christchurch is where I grew up and this particular beach has many memories for me from my childhood, teenagehood and adulthood. So it is a part of this beautiful country that I love dearly. I also love the ocean and I think with New Zealand being so small and narrow, that going to the beach is part of life. I find it hard to comprehend when I think about people who live in the middle of large land-locked countries who potentially may never experience the ocean in their lives and I feel grateful that it is part of mine.

This year, the entire proceeds from the auction of Ngatahi will be going to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand which is a fantastic charity to support. Also, my lovely husband will be assisting Sophia Elise (Manager of the NZ Art Guild ) and I with doing the practical building of the frame for this. Damn useful being married to a builder. Tomorrow I will be heading over to Sophia's to do the initial putting together of Ngatahi. I can't wait to see all the small paintings that have been sent back. They are all 150 x 150mm.