Alex Hallatt 2/21/19 Alex Hallatt 2/21/19

Living in New Zealand: Gordon Walters at the Christchurch Art Gallery

I love a lot of contemporary New Zealand art (Colin MacCahon, Rita Angus and Lyttelton’s Bill Hammond) to name some off the top of my head), but this week was the first time I’ve been able to see Gordon Walters’ work en masse and it was really inspiring. The way he processed the Maori culture that surrounded him and the modern art he was seeing into his own, distinctive style was reminiscent of Bridget Riley’s monochrome geometric work, but I think it predates it.

Gordon Walters at Christchurch Art Gallery

I wish I had more time to go to Christchurch’s Art Gallery, as it has fantastic exhibitions and I always come away with something new in my head.

The Poet: Gordon Walters was very influenced by Maori and Aboriginal rock drawings

Alex Hallatt 2/15/19 Alex Hallatt 2/15/19

Reasons to Be Cheerful - Building a Potting Shed From Recycled Materials

Click to see options for using this image

I read a few books, watched some YouTube videos and drew up some rough plans. Then I started to make my own shed. So far, I have put in a floor and framed three of the four walls. It is already a little wonky because, well, I’ve never built anything before and also I didn’t want to put in concrete. But that’s okay. It’s a shed, not a house.

Alex Hallatt 2/14/19 Alex Hallatt 2/14/19

New Zealand Garden Diary: Cecil's Successor - Cuthbert the Cucumber

This is a challenging year to grow cucumbers outdoors in Lyttelton. Not because of the shorter growing season (Lyttelton is inside an ancient volcanic crater and when the days get shorter we lose the sun before Christchurch does), but because we've had so little rain. I have planted Cuthbert in an area that I can soak with the hose. There is also a lot of mulch there. I prepared the ground by digging in masses of manure and compost well before I planted the cucumber. Last year, I got 15 cucumbers from Cecil. I've had one so far from Cuthbert, but he's got some time to catch up.

Click to see options for using the image

Alex Hallatt 2/14/19 Alex Hallatt 2/14/19

Newsletter Extract: A Hot and Dry New Zealand Summer

Canterbury is one of the driest areas in New Zealand but even by Canterbury standards this summer has been exceptionally dry and there is a worry that we may have forest fires of the like that the Nelson area has been experiencing. My folks are visiting in March, so I'm sure it will rain then, but I'm hoping that it rains tonight, as forecast, as we need it.

I am having to water the garden every day. Unlike other parts of the world and even other parts of the country, Christchurch doesn't charge for water being used, which means that people often let their sprinklers run for a long time, at all times of the day (when a water main broke under our house when we were away, it gushed for months without anyone noticing). I usually water early morning, or evening, but it has been scorching in the middle of the day.

It is noticeable in the garden which areas I'm able to reach with the sprinkler or hose. Most of the rest of the garden is looking very crispy. I have to hike up to the top with a can to water my precious Bramley (precious because most Kiwis think a good cooking apple is something like a Granny Smith or a Golden Delicious - tsk.), but it's worth it.

This is an extract of my Illustrated Epistle, which goes out in the middle of the month. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cartoonist (specifically, mine). I'd love it if you signed up at the bottom of this page, or here:

http://eepurl.com/cCOOeD

Or head to the archive to read more here.