What's Happening - August 2020

This friendly fantail wouldn't go outside so got a little helping hand and a photo shoot on the way.

In this blog I share my new art venture - Studio Visits - and talk about fantails...

​Setting up for Studio Visits

Each year as I grow my art business, I add something new. This year it is Studio Visits. 
The plan is that folk who are looking for something to do on Banks Peninsula
​can make contact and book a visit. 
Visitors get a drive in the country, take a look at my art, meet our resident Kakariki
and join me for a cuppa and chat on the deck.
If you have youngsters, they can seek out Pooh Bear and Tigger in 100 Acre Wood
and then if interested there are choices of walks you can enjoy through Hinewai Reserve,
where you can seek out the wildlife you've seen in the studio.
It's all free
so if you know anyone heading towards Akaroa or Banks Peninsula
​who might be interested, please ask them to get in touch. 

Koro, our oldest Kakariki at Hinewai Reserve.

As usual the idea of setting up the studio was easier than actually achieving it...First I had to find somewhere to move my NZ book collection and huge book shelves.
That achieved, I washed down the walls, my partner up-cycled curtain rails into art hangers and installed them for me, then we hung the art.
Print displays and shelving was found, altered and painted.  Signs for parking have been made and a new entrance was built. Even the garden has had a facelift.
There are still finishing touches to be done, but I am quietly excited about inviting people in for Studio Visits come spring.

Check out the new "Studio Visits" page on my website. 
https://www.triciahewlettart.nz/studiovisits.html
If you think I might have forgotten something or 
you have any advice about this,​ feel free to let me know.

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Fantails visiting

We had an amazing autumn for Fantails - piwakawaka - and even now in the depth of winter they are still flittering about the garden and the studio.
Fantails breed a few times through the summer if the conditions are suitable, so by autumn there are often a number of them flitting about and feeding up before the cold weather hits.
These are very short lived birds and at only 8 grams, many don't survive the cold.
With the last few winters being quite mild, the numbers have built up and we have dozens of them following us around, coming inside to check out the studio
and pooping on my art if I forget to cover it.
I've had to restart one artwork three times now!
You'd think I would have learnt the first time. 

"Fantail on Boot" graphite drawing by Tricia Hewlett

Remember if you are interested in any of my art, have a question or just want to make contact,
you can send a message ...
*post a comment on this blog
​*email at info@triciahewlettart.nz
* my website https://www.triciahewlettart.nz/contact.html
*Facebook https://www.facebook.com/triciahewlettartist
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciahewlettartist/

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Nga mihi,
Tricia Hewlett