1st place: Barbara in her Summer Garden by Jan Alldritt-Miller

"Barbara in her Summer Garden" by Jan Alldritt-Miller

Jan: "A visit to Barbara’s small Warkworth garden begins as one steps past the sweetlyperfumed gardenia bush into a magical realm. Weaving through a wildflower wilderness and fruiting trees, to an abundant, ordered vegie patch. From her garden she generously dispenses cuttings, seedlings and produce, together with great wisdom and insight into the workings of the human mind, nature and the planet.

Having not painted since my reluctant return to Auckland after the loss of my
beloved gallery, last year’s Watercolour New Zealand five day challenge
prompted me to pick up my brushes again.

Pottering round Barbara’s garden at New Year, my resolution to start painting again was rekindled. Where better to start than painting my best chum, a little garden sprite with her battered basket!

2nd Place: Windsurfing on Waves by Kasia Wiercinska

Kasia: I love watching the wind roll over the ocean’s surface, crushing the waves and splashing water everywhere. I like watching sunlight creating beautiful shadows. Water, wind, sun and salt. You close your eyes and everything becomes blurry, undefined, waiting for your imagination. The background with the ocean and mountains was painted as ‘wet on wet’, using wax to preserve white parts of the sails. After the first layer was dry, I added a touch of accent colours to surfers
and sails.

3rd place: Sunday Promenade, Nelson Waterfront by Shona McLean

Shona: "The inspiration was after years of coming and going with painting, I decided to commit myself to producing the best work I could. I love working with colour and line, and I love the looseness and brilliance of good gouache paints. I am enjoying the discipline of working from real life rather than just ideas from my head. That’s quite a change for me."

"Amazing day" by Gail Timmerman Vaughan

"Beach Cabin" by Andrew James

"Beach Cricket, Orere" by Ian Logan