30 Watercolour New Zealand members and partners had a great weekend painting atmospheric Akaroa,
on Banks Peninsula, south-east of Christchurch. We had a long weekend to paint, enjoy the
scenery and each other’s company.
Akaroa is a pretty village steeped in French history, facing an inland harbour and backed by an
amphitheatre of hills.
SUE SIMPSON reports:
This was the first time I had been on a Watercolour NZ Paintaway, so I wasn’t too sure how many
were going or if I would really enjoy it, BUT ! … so glad I went, and what a great time it
was!!
There were 32 of us in all, and for me, coming from Ashburton, it was a real treat to meet, and
put faces to, other painters.
After settling into our accommodation we met for drinks and nibbles at the Croquet Club, a real
buzz meeting everyone. It was good to hear the plans for the weekend and that even if you didn’t
know anybody, it would be easy to join in with others or just have some time on your own to
paint. After, a casual dinner at The Grand Hotel went down very well.
Saturday dawned very misty and damp but all found sheltered or indoor places to paint. The
stunning moody skies and the boats sparkling on the water when the sun peeped through were
amazing, great for wet-in-wet washes. That night we had a wonderful meal at the Ma Maison
Restaurant, one long table for us all, which
was quite special.
Sunday, and the Pumphouse Gallery opened their doors for us to paint inside if necessary, and
also hosted our ‘show and tell’ at night. It was great fun to see what everyone had painted in
two days, to hear their experiences and their ups and downs of watercolours.
Painting away, out of your comfort zone, is a great adventure and as an extra bonus we were very
privileged to have renowned watercolourist Nancy Tichborne in Akaroa. Nancy and Bryan moved
to
the village four years ago and have established a charming cottage and working Art Gallery for
Nancy to paint and Bryan to manage the business of signed prints and books etc for sale. It was
wonderful to hear of their travels and having Nancy passing on technical gems of her
expertise.
Thank you members of Watercolour NZ for all the work in planning the four days away, I can’t
wait for the next one!
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