The 'Why?'

 

   All the trips out into the wilderness to draw are over now and in a weeks time all my pictures will be hanging in the gallery. Oh so looking forward to seeing all of my work on display together!

  At the beginning of this adventure when I was still wondering how it would all happen and had not much money to make a lot happen, I contacted many businesses and organizations thinking that sponsorship would be the answer. But, in the end, it wasn't. I don't have a job, I'm a full time artist who just doesn't make much money yet. I have been able to live at home still thanks to my amazingly supportive parents - I cook and clean for my keep. And what little money I might earn from selling art has all gone towards The Art of a Hut project. Somehow I've always had just enough, and when it's needed the money comes. Life is like that when you just trust and go for it. Passion and love defies logic. There have been times when a trip we had planned was coming up or I need to pay for more art supplies or buy contacts, so I can see (my glasses got lost along the way and I can't afford new ones - yet!), and every time, at the last minute, the money would come. I was donated money from some wonderful people who follow my adventures, and at other times just when I should have been panicking an email pops up and I've sold a painting! And all my friends have been incredible, everyone wanted to come along for a tramping holiday and so we split the costs of the food and travel between us. And when we were all tight on money we hitched and meet some amazing and some unique people on the road!

   It is a good thing I never started all this to make money. I think that for some people it is a strange concept to accept, this naive disregard for money that I have. I have spent two years of life and career on a project that has no great return in profit, At very best I might get the equivalent of half a years minimum wage for my over two years worth of work. But believe me, I'm far better of and happier than I would have been at a stable job with a regular wage. I get to live my dreams while I work, rather than work while dreaming of what I can do with the money I'll earn. I am very blessed to be able to do this. 

   If I were a better sales person I might be able to make money our of this little project. I could have put huge amounts of energy into promoting and marketing my art and making prints and cards and calendars, la de da, talk to the right people and bingo. Exciting as that all is it is also an exhausting thought for me, and in a way kills the very reason for what I'm doing. WHY am I doing this then? Just like any other real artist out there I'm just indulging a passion of mine and trying to find a way to make that possible. It is a passion that requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but that comes willingly when you love what you do. I do this because it's what I would do if money were no object. Because I love art and beautiful pictures, beautiful places and I think that that is important. It is far more important than we know to have beauty in our lives and the artists are those who should be there to fill that need. 

   So, for me, if, at the end of the exhibition, I have sold none of my pictures I wouldn't count it a failure. Yes, of course, it would be very discouraging, but it wouldn't change a single thing that I have done so far. It wouldn't take away from anything that I have learnt about tramping, about my own country, about drawing and painting in the wilderness in rain snow and sun, and about putting together an exhibition, and finally seeing the result of all my efforts all together in a beautiful display. These are invaluable lessons and experiences. As an artist and as a person I've grown so much and I'm not so afraid to do new things any more.

   So that it the Why of it. The How and the What are explained on The Art of a Hut page.

Radio Interview!

     I am back from a week away from my usual life and planning for my drawing project, and even from drawing. Seven of us young people traveled away down south to Levin, where we were thinning a pine forest. I was one of two girls helping to look after the boys who worked really hard welding chainsaws through the forest every day. We cooked and cleaned for them and had the job of marking trees for the boys to fell. On the first day I slipped and managed to cover myself in the whole pot of white paint which caused allot of laughter. for several days afterwards I was quite white from the experience! After that we used spray paint! It was a good work experience and now I know a little bit about thinning pine trees.

    While we were down there my friend, Marion, and I took one day off to travel down to the Capitol, Wellington, where I had an appointment with Radio New Zealand. It was very surreal to walk through the city and into the high-rise off The Terrace and talk in the professional recording studio about The Art of a Hut. I had been in a different world all week and very distracted from the project, which turned out to be quite good because had I been at home I would have been thinking about the radio interview too much and getting really nervous. As it was I wasn't so nervous, but that still didn't help me speak very well! Caleb and I sound like a couple of rookies with an exciting idea that we don't know much about! Well I guess I don't yet, but after a year of drawing huts I'll be quite confident in talking about it. I hope... You can listen to the interview here: The Art of a Hut Radio.

   All the people there were really lovely and the interviewer, Lynn, did her best to make me feel comfortable and draw out my enthusiasm for drawing and huts. Everyone I met there seemed to be very relaxed and to love their job. It was very interesting to see all the recording equipment, and buttons and dials and the sound proof recording studio with the big window. It was strange to hear Caleb over the headphones; he was far away in a studio in Napier. I haven't talked to him since then because he's gone off possum trapping for a week. So I don't know how he thinks it went. For myself, I'm glad I wasn't horribly nervous, but I wish I could have spoken better, more confidently, and said a bit more. We managed to listen to part of it on our drive back up north on Sunday when it was on the radio. It was painful for me to listen to, but at least I was myself, and I guess that's all I can be!

    It is a month today until my 21st birthday, and it will be a matter of days after that before we set of on out 'hut hoping' expedition! It's getting more exciting and real by the day. I'm going to spend the rest of today sorting and ordering art supplies. I'm looking forwards to make a batch of sketchbooks next week, when my paper arrives.