A pastel painting of the Bay of Islands
New Zealand
I had never been to the Bay of Islands before, but my former partner (being a Kiwi who had lived on the north island for many years) knew it well.
By the time we arrived in ‘Russell’ it was very dark and very cold. It had been a long day, stopping to see the sights on our way from Auckland and I was exhausted.
We settled into our comfortable guest house for the night, not venturing out until the following day. For me it was a strange and disorienting experience. I had absolutely no idea of my surroundings and could just as easily have been wearing a blindfold.
I awoke the next morning, walked into the lounge room and drew back the curtains, staring in disbelief at the magical scene before me. I wondered if I was dreaming. I never imagined I was staying in a place of such enchantment and beauty.
I was immediately motivated to paint the beautiful scene that was presented before me. It had such a wonderful combination of light and shade, of colour and texture, yet everything seemed to exist in a delicate and balanced visual harmony.
My painting became a treasured souvenir of a wonderful time.
