News from the Rookery
On markets, outdoor art, journeys and school.
Wes ðu hāl dear reader! (Be thou whole).
In 2024 The Rooky Wood market stall attended over 30 markets and festivals throughout the year, I met so many decent ordinary New Zealanders and had many adventures with storms and sleeping in the car amongst folded tables and boxes of wares, windswept firepits and bottles of mead, and conversations out of the ordinary. That year’s experience gave me a deep respect for market stall operators who rise in the dark, drive sometimes from one end of the country to the other, unpack and set up in the dark, talk to people all day, pack down and make the return journey before unpacking the car and collapsing into bed.
This year I have a few other pots on the stove but joyfully accepted an invitation to set up my stall at Outfield at the end of January, as a chance to really blow my trumpet on the Rooks. My main goal was to sell these:
…and I’m happy to say, a tonne of them walked out the door. I experienced much impassioned support for the cause, which gave me great heart.
Each brooch sale buys me one hour’s research into the science, the lack of science, the political process and the will behind the unnecessary killing of the poor Rooks. If anyone would like to buy a brooch online they are $20 NZD + postage and can be bought by emailing me at therookywood@outlook.com or message me on fb at TheRooky Wood
Right now on the calendar, my message of consciousness towards all animals in New Zealand, not just some animals, goes out to the world in grand style thanks to Arts Inc Heretaunga’s brand new outdoor edition of two of my drawings at the Bridge Pa Sculpture Trail on the Paritua Winery grounds this year. The originals are hanging at the Paritua Cellar Door. The Trail will be open until the 22nd of March:
Next up is my market stall at BLENDED Havelock North- Art and Wine Event where I will be demonstrating pastel animal portraiture and selling miniature landscapes in oils. I’ll be at Treachers Lane in Havelock North from 12-4pm on Sunday 22nd of March- call by and say hello if you’re in the village. You can see a number of my chalk pastel portraits on my archive page here on my website.
My first solo exhibition this year: “The Bird Journey” is being held upstairs at Arts Inc Heretaunga running from 23rd of March until 4th of April. The opening night is at 5.30 Monday 23rd March. I'll have some local craft beer and mousetraps to sustain viewers(!) do come along after work- it would be lovely to see you.
Lastly, this year I have decided to formalise my research and resultant visual expression by bringing a wild and woolly CV under the umbrella of a Master of Professional Creative Practice at EIT. I was very excited to be accepted on this journey and I’m finding the course enormously helpful in the process of quantifying my practice and concentrating my message, wonderful camaraderie with the tutor and student team, access to all sorts of research nooks and crannies, and I’m looking forward to an intense educational year-and-a-half ahead. My research subject is, of course, the Rook People of New Zealand.
Until next time.
Farað nu gesunde and gesælige becumað (Go now healthy and arrive fortunate).
