Did We Catch You?
Life is good when you get to LAUGH!! Did we fool you on April fools day?
We even fooled some of our team, so we hope you enjoyed getting caught out!
Thankyou For Your Support!
So the birthday sale wasn’t an April Fool’s’ joke!! And we are so glad that many of you enjoyed it and got stuck into ordering prints at 25% off. If you missed it this year you`ll have to make a note to look out for it next year!
Muriwai Artists Collective
Are you part of an artist collective? We`d love you to let us know. One we do know about is the Muriwai Artists Collective formerly known as the Muriwai Arts Open Studios. Five of the Print Art and Art Collective artists are part of this creative group. As a collective, the artists are all clearly inspired by the rugged coastal environment of Muriwai Beach. They are a mix of painters, potters, photographers, sculptors, poets, jewellery, textile and embroidery and they showcase the diverse ideas and perceptions of a truly dedicated group of artists. They are a sharing and nurturing artists’ collective – all based in and around Muriwai Beach and as individuals they all have their own unique creative processes and fascinating forms of expression. They aim to inspire, engage and provide access to the arts in a fun and personal way. Holding regular exhibitions and workshops throughout the year they also invite other artists to exhibit with them. Next on their calendar is their annual Art Trail on the first weekend of May. Whether you want to buy, be inspired, learn or simply ‘step out of the ordinary’ and enjoy time out, head to one of Muriwai Artists Collective exhibitions, open studio art trail days, workshops or art experiences.
For The Birds
15 years go, Phil Walters wanted to do something with his kids that could spark a few smiles in their neighbourhood.
His distinctive bird silhouettes took on a life of their own – a street art project that “began in a tiny garden shed” soon spreading across Aotearoa and the globe to become Metalbird, a creative outlet that turns heads around the world.
“The whole business started from one bird, stuck in one tree in Auckland,” from there, Walters has been able to turn a passion for creating and a desire to support bird conservation into a company he can be proud of, working lean with sustainable principles – with deliberate efforts to keep its carbon footprint tiny.
“It’s been an absolute delight to build a business that reflects your own values set. ” says Phil. It’s been a partnership forged over the popular Bird of the Year awards – in particular last year’s Bird of the Century competition that got international attention, including on John Oliver’s popular American late night show Last Week Tonight. Walters’s work was front and centre, and played a huge part in the unprecedented voting numbers. Walters has proved that a small creative idea done right can have a lasting impact.
Judi Lapsley Miller's Top Tips
Judi Lapsley Miller’s art is inspired by the wildlife and land of Aotearoa-New Zealand. Many of her images are inspired from her experiences with volunteering in wildlife conservation projects, especially with her beloved endangered kākā parrots. Photography is just the first step in Judi’s creative process – she also digitally blends and masks layers of photographs, graphics, scanned ephemera and textures, lighting and colour adjustments, and digital brushstrokes to form an image that is more painting than photograph. She calls this photo artistry. In her images, Judi exposes her interpretation of the inner world of others – their thoughts and feelings, their hopes and desires – in a form tangible to the human viewer that she hopes engenders empathy and understanding with other living creatures. Judi lives in Wellington, New Zealand and has shared her top tips to create compelling photographs :
Use Your Feet | Get Eye to Eye | Try Off Centre Magic |
Look around the scene before clicking | Snap Freely |
Chase the beautiful light | Give yourself a fun, available , mini project!
To read more in depth about these tips head to the article below.
Vibrant Her
03 Apr 2025, 7:00 pm – 06 Apr 2025, 8:00 pm
Auckland, 163 Symonds Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
The First Solo Exhibition by Noila Souza “In this groundbreaking exhibition, Noila Souza presents ‘Vibrant Her,’ a captivating collection of portraits that delve into the depths of feminine identity. solo exhibition, music, guests and more.
Exhibition On Now
“An investigation of mood, melancholy, and transcendence within landscape by blurring boundaries between known place and imagination. Acknowledging the significance of place to our identity and how perception of shared landscape is shaped by individual experience and memory. My interest in this has come about by my return after two decades to live in Whangaparāoa, the place of my childhood. A familiar landscape now seen with different eyes.”
Pod gallery | KumeuArts Centre | 300 Main Rd,Kumeu
1st – 26th April 2025 | 9am -5pm Tues-Fri, 10-4pm Saturday
Opening – Friday, 4th April-5 pm
With live music from Darlene & friends & poetry by Arthur Amon.