'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
'No,' said the child. 'What is it?'
- The Mouse and his Child. Russell Hoban.

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Saturday 18 April 2015

Calabash - sold

It's always exciting when a painting sells.  It's like a child you created is led by the hand to the door and is out into the world on their own, an orphan.  I think someone said that before me…

Anyway, "Calabash" has gone. That's the painting on the right immediately below.  (In the corner you can see one of my reproduction calabash gourds in its special basket.)


The painting is about some of the methods the Maori used to capture and preserve godwits.  This began with the growing of the pumpkin-like gourds (the bigger the better) that were dried and used as containers.  (Maori did not make pottery and had no metal.)  The wooden frames were decorated with exquisite basketry and the gourds containing the roasted birds sealed with their own fat, were placed inside the basket stand when entertaining guests.  Each guest was given his or her own gourd.





4 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures - I could see these in the pages of the National Geographic magazine or the NZ School Journal (A publication that as a teacher I hold in high esteem).

    It is very interesting that Maori never developed a pottery culture. There is certainly enough clay to work with in the cradle of Maoridom, here in Northland.

    I think the framing is subtle and effective. Do you frame your own work Kate?

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    1. Thanks Alden. Yes, there is a strong illustrative quality to this work. I don't frame my own work.

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  2. One of my collectors once showed me all the paintings she owned (of mine). One of them completely baffled me; I didn't recognise it at all. Only after looking at it for about 15 mins did it come back to me. I still worry about that experience; to forget one of one's own paintings seems impossible.

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    1. I sometimes read comments that I wrote, and have no memory of them. Some of them are quite brilliant ha ha. I'm relieved I am not alone. I haven't made enough work yet, to forget a piece.

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