Neil Dawson, Ferns - Wellington, New Zealand

When I started work on Ferns I saw Ian Athfield's nikau palms as major markers of the Square. What I've aimed for is a sort of delicate intricacy that can float over the top of the palms so the two elements can work with each other.

What I wanted to do with my sphere was to extend Athfield's poetry by adding variety in the form of five different ferns because, of course, the basic form of the nikau is overlapping ferns.

Neil Dawson, Sculptor.

No visit to Wellington city is complete without viewing Ferns, an exquisite sculpture by Neil Dawson.

It hangs 14 metres above you when you're standing in Civic Square and, like so many others, I find it exquisitely beautiful.  

You can view more of Neil's work over on his website. 

 

L’Art'e Cafe and Gallery, Taupo - New Zealand

Every detail had been so lovingly added at L'Art'e Cafe and Gallery ... even the stairs.

But read what L'Art'e have to say ... Judi Brennan has been a successful clay artist for many years. She has won several pottery awards including a merit in the prestigious Fletcher Challenge Exhibitia and has her work all around the world.

The pathway leading to the studio created huge interest from people wanting to make something similar in there own garden – Judi had embedded feature pieces that she had made out of clay eg cats, dogs, fish etc into the paving to form a fun pathway. This interest led to years of producing, with a staff of 5, the Clay Art Studio mosaic feature pieces that everyone has come to know and love.

There is more, so much more, over here on the L'Art'e website.

L’Art'e Cafe and Gallery, Taupo - New Zealand

There is so much to write about L'Art'e Cafe and Gallery ... so much.

The mind-blowingly beautiful location, the friendly service, the truly sublime food, the superb coffee, the exquisite artwork ... and nowhere do I exaggerate.

It's that remarkable! 

This was brunch on that first day back in New Zealand.

Wai-O-Tapu ... a Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand

I stepped back into life here in Belgium and, like an out-of-control magic carpet, life whooshed off with me.

Almost 3 weeks after the return, I finally created a space to go wandering through 2 complete folders from that trip through New Zealand.  There are so many more still to explore ... and process but most of the portraits are done now, with some massive ones still to do, Hunter and Clare, Peter and Christine.

Anyway, on our second day in the country, Christine and Peter took us on a North Island Roadtrip.  The image below was taken at one the ports of call on that first surreal and magical day. 

The Wai-O-Tapu thermal area covered about 18 sq.kms near Rotorua and it was area where collapsed craters, boiling mud pools and steaming fumaroles were the norm. 

They told us that the area is associated with volcanic activity that happened about 160,000 years ago and that beneath us was a system of streams heated by magma from earlier eruptions ... water temperatures of up to 300 celsius have been recorded.

Stunning isn't it ...