Acrylic on raw cotton stretched canvas
760 x 760mm
This piece felt like a patch work of my early life.
All the things Canterbury represent were firmly entrenched in my life then.
My Dad is a wool exporter so wool and sheep were a part of my childhood, whether it be glueing sheep’s wool to a school project or helping Dad in the woolstores to earn some money.
Family picnics by the rivers that weave their way through the landscape, swimming in waterholes, days of piling in the back of the station wagon with not a care in the world.
Later in life the beautiful wines of the region became a strong influence in my life, especially as I worked in the restaurant biz and eventually became a restraurateur ( unfortunately they became too strong an influence which is why I am now 16 years sober!)
Now I get to enjoy the zero alcohol wines of Canterbury winemakers Giesen wines (not an ad, I just love being able to have their beautiful AF wines in my house!)
Up until the earthquake of 2011, which displaced me and my girls, I lived up at Mt Pleasant on the Port Hills and I had a stunning view across the Pacific Ocean, over Christchurch city to the Southern Alps. I miss that view to this day.
So whenever I fly into CHCH this carpet patchwork fields of many colours welcomes me with a strong feeling of nostalgia.
#canterburynz
