​My studio has been closed all summer. I have missed the wonderful visitors who call in and share a cuppa on the deck. It all started on Dec 15th. 

​Cyclone Ruby stalled over the Eastern Bays of Banks Peninsula. It rained. It rained and it just kept on raining. 
By late afternoon we were flooding. Streams were roaring into torrents and slips were falling. It got worse as the evening came. The water rolled up my 240 square metre vegetable garden, the greenhouses, vegetable cages, garden shed, garden art, the garden edging and all of my beautiful recycled totara post fence. It all disappeared downstream and out to sea. 
We watched the telephone pole and the power pole very gently slide into the torrent and leave our valley. 

​Looking out the kitchen window I could see Fantail Falls valley disintegrate and fall onto the valley floor. Rocks and trees were tumbled in the waves that fell from the valley each time another gully gave way. It was terrifying.
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We were trapped. Water covered the valley above the house and below the house.  With no power, no phone and no mobile reception we couldn't call for help so we packed ready to evacuate to the chook house with plastic sheets due to the leaking roof, sleeping bags, a cooker, a pot, some teabags and some apples. I put our important things on the top bunk then walked through my studio. I looked around at the art on the walls, the art products on the shelves and the unfinished art on the easel. I turned my back knowing I may not see it again. We stood at the door and watched the water rise ready to escape out the back door if the water got to the doorstep.

As quickly as the water rose, it fell again. It no longer threatened the house. The kakariki aviary was still standing. The metre of water that had be gushing through it dropped down to a few inches and the structure stopped shuddering. The water was still rushing in a 40 metre wide torrent from the hedge in front of the house right across the valley. We were lucky Cyclone Ruby had dropped most of her moisture. She continued to rain through the night and into the next day but the flood was ever so slowly receding.

The next day we surveyed the damage. What a mess!

I'm writing this three months later. Roading crews have been amazing getting us access and they have been out here ever since improving it. As long as it doesn't rain I can now get my little "town" car out. Our road is still closed to non-residents, and we have to allow an extra half hour travel time as the crews move diggers and trucks to let us go by. 
Independent Line Services 'planted' a new pole and got our power up and running in a week. 
It took Spark five weeks to get their service folk to string our phone line along a fence and through some trees so we had communication again. Sadly, it is still in that same state with my partner having to patch it when the neighbour's sheep rub against it breaking the connection.
After two and a half months we got a septic system again. We could wash dishes without having to take the bucket outside to empty and joy of joys, we could flush the loo. 
We got the water running again so we could start cleaning up. There will be ongoing issues and we may need a new supply, but friends have been great at letting us "borrow" water when needed. 
We've had days and weeks of diggers on the property clearing debris and teams clearing fences. There's still more to do, but it is beginning to come together.
Civil Defence turned up seven days after the event, followed by the news media. Since then we have had site visits from insurers, assessors, building inspectors, structural engineers, contractors, Ecan, road crews, Council, Chorus, Downers, electrician, the list feels endless.

​Other visitors have included the wildlife that surrounds us. Despite the pain of losing so many critters, especially in the streams, we still have an abundance of wildlife visitors.

​​We have a long way to go to be past the flood, but some things are wonderful. My partner cleaned out the slosh and slop from the bottom of the kakariki house when the waters went down. He tipped the debris in a washout across the road. A few weeks later tiny sunflower seedlings popped up. Despite them germinating so late in the summer, they all flowered with their bright, sunny, smiley faces and we have been enjoying stepping out the gate - no longer shocked by the devastation but greeted by the bright sunflowers.  

Prior to Cyclone Ruby's disruptive visit, I had been preparing for a busy summer of studio visits. I plan to be open again in the spring and would love you to come out for a Studio Visit and a cuppa on the deck. 

Will you be visiting Banks Peninsula at Easter? 

If so, plan a trip to the Eastern Bays to visit my studio.
Open from 10 to 4 on Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon.

You will see original artworks, prints, cards,
art mugs, totes and journals.
You can meet our Kakariki,
stroll through 100 Aker Wood to meet Pooh and friends,
have a cuppa on the deck 
and learn more about Hinewai Reserve.

Follow the signs from the scenic route at the Long Bay Road / Summit Road intersection. 
For enquiries pop online here. 

First, let me thank you all for your support, purchases and goodwill throughout the past year. 
I raise my glass to you!

Actually, I don't drink alcohol, so my glass is filled with wonderful fresh water run down from the hills of Hinewai Reserve. 
We have recently had the most refreshing rain. I'm sorry for all those camping over the Christmas holidays. I know rainfalls and tents are not always the greatest friends, hopefully though, you can  appreciate how much the whenua, the flora and the fauna were in need of this liquid blessing.
​Now with some moisture about, we are able to relax and enjoy the abundance of new life in our valley. 

Since my last blog I've not completed many artworks, but I have been spending time out and about, watching the birds and critters, following their antics and learning so much more from them. I've been attending numerous art events. I've had some folk in learning and sharing their art endeavours and I've had so many wonderful visitors to my studio. Long may it continue.

I wish you a healthy and happy 2021, filled with whatever it is that makes your heart sing.

Spring and early summer are busy times in New Zealand's  art scene. 
Most of the years exhibitions fall into this time so forward planning is necessary to ensure we have art for each exhibition we have signed up for.
It means less art is produced during this time, but more people get to see what we've been working on.  It is an exciting time!

​You can see my exhibition plan here. 

As a wildlife artist is is also an amazing time to see the critters who are active after their winter quiet.
 
The cicada crawl out of the earth, the frogs produce a raucous night symphony,  the shining cuckoo returns from the Solomon Islands and call for mates, the boy stoats roam the countryside and the grey warbler call returns to serenade my gardening tasks.

The camera is never far from me and many an hour is spent watching the antics of critters getting on with the seasonal tasks of procreation. 

People also emerge at this time of year. We have folk visiting for Art Retreats and Studio Visits. Our Wildside Art Group attendance improves along with the better weather and Hinewai Reserve visitors increase exponentially. 

Despite the numerous tugs on my time, spring and early summer really is a wonderful season!

Spring and summer are full of inspiration for a nature artist.

We have abundant bird life around us here on Hinewai Reserve and have been watching Shining Cuckoo calling and flirting, Blackbirds nest building, California Quail corralling their eight chicks each time they see us coming, Brown Creeper fledglings being evicted from the garden shed, Grey Warbler chick being fed...it has been an amazing breeding season for so many birds. 

With all this activity I have spent many hours sitting outside with my camera attempting to capture a posture, look or group that I can use for another artwork. 

I use a Panasonic Point and Shoot camera, but it does have a great zoom and 4K so although my photos won't win competitions, that's not what they are taken for. As long as I can get enough detail  to see the feathers and features I am content.

​All these new images have arrived at the right time as I have been accepted into the Christchurch Art Show in June. I will have to work very hard to have enough work to display. For those who have not seen this show, it is massive! There are many artists and so much to see. Take a look at the short video on the ChCh Art Show homepage: 
 https://www.chchartshow.co.nz/
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The last few months of 2019 were a whirlwind of exhibitions and shows. Thank you to all the people I met: the art purchasers, the art appreciators, the artists, and the art event organisers. It was a blast. Here are a few photos of some exhibitions.

If there is any art here that interests you, feel free to ask about it. 
Some of these photos are original works, some prints.
My prints are available in A4 unframed or framed in two sizes. 

Thanks for following my blog.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like me to include anything
different in my blogs

Nga mihi, Tricia
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edIt's been busy times...
Once again the Pegasus Art Show team put on a great weekend show.
I was an Artist in Residence at this show so got to meet so many wonderful folk. 

It is such a treat to be able to spend the whole weekend talking art with such a wide range of people. There are the established artists - all willing to share their knowledge, those like myself who are becoming more established and those starting out. There are the art lovers who spend time appreciating the work of each and every artist, and the art skimmers who stop to enjoy the art that "speaks"to them. There are those who come just to see one artists work and sometimes get sidetracked by another artists work . There are the hidden artists, not yet ready or prepared to claim the title and those that claim they have no artistic talent whatsoever.  

Each person I spoke to was interesting and interested. What a treat!

The Pumanawa Gallery in the Christchurch Arts Centre is worth a visit just to see the gorgeous building, to look up and see the work the Arts Centre has put into earthquake strengthening so we can still use it and of course for the wonderful exhibitions held there.
It is upstairs at the end of a corridor above the Christchurch i-site.
This is definitely worth a visit to see who is exhibiting when you are in the city.

Thanks for following my blog.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like me to include anything
different in my blogs

Nga mihi, Tricia

Welcome to Tricia Hewlett Artist's
"Window on the World"

I have been in the "business of art" for a year. To celebrate this milestone, I have set up a new website www.triciahewlettart.nz, linking my felt.co.nz shop for sales and this blog page for information.

If you have a moment, please take a look at my website and feel free to offer any advice or critique you feel would make it a better experience for art appreciators.

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​Thanks for taking the time to check out my new blog.
​Nga Mihi, Tricia