Biodiversity is the theme of my latest painting which features grasses and weeds from an untended part of my own garden. This artwork has been planned for some time but I had to wait until spring here in New Zealand for the best results. There is an incredible amount of flora in the small area of my garden that used to be lawn. A TED talk by Michael Pollan was part of the inspiration for this work. Grasses are one of the most successful species on our planet and it is interesting to consider how much time, effort and money is spent on growing edible grasses and lawn.
I also started looking at weeds differently after reading The Naturescaping Workbook by Beth O’Donnell Young. Weeds are the first species to colonise disturbed land and although undoubtably problematic, they are nevertheless an important part of the way nature restores lost habitat.
I’m preparing this artwork (details pictured above) for the National Painting and Printmaking Award which is organised by the Waikato Society of Arts. The judge this year is an Australian artist and master printmaker, Dianne Fogwell.
Loss of genetic biodiversity is a problem affecting many species. On a recent trip to the South Island I spotted these flowers – Kākābeak/ngutu kākā, which are critically endangered in New Zealand. Although there are many cultivated in gardens, there are few left in the wild. Some species of Kōwhai are also under threat. I am fortunate to have one in my garden and have been using it in my recent artworks.
For fans of Kōwhai – I have some black and white printable postcards and greeting cards on the Corokia Studio Etsy shop that feature Kōwhai foliage and blooms. These are inexpensive and can be printed at home or at a print shop.
Spring paintings will be my main focus over the next two months. After a very wet winter it is fantastic to see blossoms everywhere and plants awakening from winter dormancy. Over winter I have continued to experiment with linocuts and am preparing to tackle a larger linocut with the theme of biodiversity in mind. The encouragement and generosity of other printmakers has been really helpful over the past weeks.
Celeste Sterling 