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The show includes life sized work by Jill Guillemain. The Patricia Hollis’ work shows birds in a colourful setting. Estuary Arts volunteer Alan Croggon worked with Riding for the Disabled clients including Lucy Krinkel, pictured, to make clay sculptures. Cally Whitham. Cally’s internationally acclaimed fine art photographs show her animal subjects as individuals.
Animals are often a source of artistic inspiration – beautiful, quirky, fierce, or fragile and endangered, there are many facets to be drawn out.
They are the focus for an upcoming exhibition and school holiday programme at Estuary Arts Centre, called By My Side that uses art and storytelling to celebrate the unique relationship between humans and animals.
Participating artists have created works from recycled materials, textiles, corrugated iron, clay and mosaic tiles and there are also paintings and drawings.
Ann Cowell from the North Shore has donated prints that will be given to local animal agencies, including Riding for the Disabled in Stillwater.
Rodney artist Jill Guillemain is using recycled fibre to create works full of character, including a life-sized dog.
For the first time, the work of Puhoi fine art photographer Cally Whitham will be included in the show.
Cally has been recognised internationally, including in National Geographic, for her photos of animals in the style of Rembrandt paintings.
The 47-year-old calls herself a pictorialist. “Taking the photo is just the start – there is a lot of post-production,” Cally says.
Growing up in Devonport, she says her love of all things rural began with staying on her aunt’s farm in Coromandel. Initially, to get the romantic and rich images she wanted she used techniques such as soft focus, toning and oil paints. That was in the days of film. The arrival of digital photography got her excited about photography all over again – “it cost me nothing to experiment,” she says.
Living her dream on a lifestyle block in Puhoi, Cally says she began focusing on individual animals, to see whether each had its own identity.
“When you make a farm animal into a pet, you discover it has a personality and I wanted to bring that out,” she says.
Although she says she was not making a political statement with her work, it has been interpreted by others that way.
“I am saying that these are individuals, not a product, so think about what you are doing,” Cally says. “But I’m not trying to save the world.”
Recently she has begun painting – something she found difficult as a child. “I figured it was time to give it a go because I always wished I could paint.”
The By My Side exhibition is on at Estuary Arts Centre in Orewa from July 3-28.
Animals inspire school holiday programme
Estuary Arts Centre’s school holiday programme, which runs from July 8-19, includes art, sculpture and painting with animals a key theme. It is for children aged five years and over and includes a chance to make a clay sculpture in tribute to the recently deceased internet favourite known as Grumpy Cat.
Courses to make sock animals and pet rock photo holders are also on offer. Saturday, July 13 will be a free Family Fun open day that will include a petting zoo and art and craft stalls.
