Laura's paintings at Gallery On Blueskin

"Harlequin" by Laura Gregory.
This framed acrylic painting is just over 4 feet high (1.2 m) high.

We visited Gallery On Blueskin today so that I could take some photos of Laura's paintings.

The gallery overlooks Blueskin Bay (from which it derives its unusual name), and is located in the old Waitati post office building. In addition to the main building that forms the principal gallery space, there is a small separate building in a courtyard area that once housed the telephone exchange. This exchange building is ideal for solo shows and other special events.

"A love Token" by Laura Gregory,
this framed acrylic painting is just over 4 feet high (1.2 m).



"Harlequin Mask" by Laura


"Sun" by Laura


"Winter Tree" by Laura

I like Louise and Nicky who run the gallery. They both do a lot to encourage young artists from the area, and the place has a friendly atmosphere.

Jonathon Yeldon, a young artist at his first solo show held in the old telephone exchange room.

In the main building, there is other work on display!

Teapots by Marion Mewburn.


One of the nice features of the gallery is that there are good areas outside to display sculpture.

Copper sculpture by John Mayne.

Kiwi by Chris Meder, a local Dunedin sculptor who uses recycled scrap metals to make animal forms.

An owl (NZ Morepork) by Chris Meder

I love that Morepork! I have put most of these photos on the blog at fairly high resolution, so you should be able to click on them and see a bit more detail.

Comments

Linda Starr said…
I love Laura's paintings especially the ones with the turquoise or aqua colors, of course that's one of my favorite colors but there is something about the combination of those colors. The metal sculptures are great too - the pods and the animals. Now I must go back and enlarge them and have another look.
Angie said…
I love that Harlequin Rainbow Mask of Laura's ...she has a really individual style which echos the art of the original inhabitants of the islands and I could totally live happily, owning that Kiwi of Chris Meder ...inspired
Linda Starr said…
Hi Peter, I came across the website on crystals and thought you might be interested.

http://www.handspiral.com/WildStyle.htm
Peter said…
Hi Linda,
Nice to hear from you. Thanks for the info about the website, I had in fact just discovered it a night or two before, it is amazing isn't it! Astonishing what some people do with these glazes. Just soooooo much to learn! I have joined the crystal glaze forum that William Melstrom administers. http://s3.excoboard.com/crystal Fantastic group of people and interesting work.

It turns out that there is a conference and exhibition of international crystal glazed work in Dunedin Florida next year, late March - May. I am really tempted to try to get over for it. (from Dunedin to Dunedin... isn't that amazing!) It would be the sort of exhibition that would never get to this part of the world, and would be great to meet up with other people working in this field.

I will be firing some more crystal glazed pots tomorrow.

Hello Angie,
Laura wore the Harlequin Rainbow Mask at a wearable art show earlier in the year. It is really beautiful. I love Chris Meder's work, it is exciting to see what can be done with recycled metal.
Judy Shreve said…
What a great gallery space! And Laura's work is wonderful. I love her use of color -- really fabulous. Her 'Sun' is my favorite.

The metal work is great -- but I love those teapots too!
Thanks for all the wonderful inspirational photos!
Linda Starr said…
Hi Peter, amazing that you found the website in the same week that I did. If you do go to the conference you are welcome to stay here. Dunedin is about an hour south of us. Wonder if the conference will be at the same time as NCECA? - which is in tampa next year.
Peter said…
Hi Judy, thanks for your on going encouragement. I'll make sure Laura gets to read these comments, it will give her a mid winter lift of the spirits! Thought someone would enjoy those teapots. It's funny, but I was quite "straight laced" when I started potting, very much doing the Bernard Leach thing, and I found those sort of teapots made me all uncomfortable at that time, because they had little funny bits on metal springs added to them, and weren't serious and functional. I really like them now!!

Hi Linda, it is amazing how often some of us seem to be doing similar things at different sides of the world! Now I discover that you live close to Dunedin too! Our Dunedin is about half an hour South of us. I think that the crystal glaze thing at Dunedin Florida will be the same time as the NCECA. It would be a real joy to be able to visit you if I do come over :)
Armelle said…
Hi Peter,

I remember the show, when laura wore her Arlequin mask. I love her paintings "si originales et colorées".
I love the NZ owl, I am probably still in the feeling of Bernard Leach, and so........the tea-pots........humm. I love your pots.
Je suis très contente pour vous deux, que vous exposiez dans cette galerie, super exposition. Bonne réussite et bonnes ventes.
Blue skin sounds so nice, here it is the name of a shark : "peau bleu".

Bye bye see you
Peter said…
Merci vraiment Armelle. L'exposition est une petite tranquillité. C'est hiver. Les ventes sont lentes, mais il est bon de voir les peintures sur l'exposition, et la poterie aussi. J'aime toujours Bernard Leach. Il est inspiré.

European settlers called the bay at Waitati, "Blueskin Bay", because the Maori people there had a lot of traditional Maori tattooing (Ta moko) on their bodies.

Bye for now, P, L, G, & NS
cookingwithgas said…
you two really have some talent going on!
Love the paintings and your pots for the exhibition!
I like the quietness of the bottle- then again I have a thing for bottles- quiet grandness!
We looked at a lot of crystalline pottery in a shop in Maine but it was very commercial- no soul to the work at all.
Left me felling cold.
Not like your pots which I find full of life!
Peter said…
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Meredith, I've just spent a freezing cold winter's day with my hands in clay trying to throw on the wheel and feeling very incompetent, and it is nice to have some encouragement! "Quite grandness" is a wonderful description of the nature of a bottle, and I should write it on my wall somewhere.

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