Jamie from Georgia

I was asked to spend an afternoon with an artist from Savannah Georgia who was visiting New Zealand on a Rotary exchange. I was half expecting it to be...well actually I don't know what I was expecting. I sure didn't expect to enjoy it so much. Her name was Jamie and we had lots to talk about. I showed her my studio then we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed down to the Whakatane heads to do some sketching/painting.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and we had a lovely relaxing time making art. Jamie drew Whale Island in watersoluble crayons and I sketched a pohutukawa in graphite. As we were packing up a beautiful falcon made an unsuccesful attack on a gull in the airspace about five feet from us. It pulled up and circled us before heading off around the coastline. All in all it was a special day. Jamie loved taking some time out from a busy schedule to do what artists do and she said it was a highlight of her trip so far. I just appreciated being reminded of what a fabulous part of the world we live in.

Thanks Jamie!

Three Seals and a Surfer.

Today there were TWO seals sharing Wairakas rock! They appeared to be a male and a female adult in good condition. However a third seal I spotted in the water came ashore to sun itself on the rocky breakwater & this was small and very skinny. I watched a surfer make his way out along the rocks with his board and I knew he was about to come face to face with the young seal. Sure enough he stopped very suddenly and the two of them eyeballed each other for a second or two then much to the surfers relief the seal took off back into the water!

The seals have certainly caused a lot of interest among the locals. A bus load of tourists even turned up while I was there!

The morning fined up and turned out lovely. I snapped these white fronted terns and an oystercatcher before tearing myself away and heading back to the studio.