King Street Artworks

In the run up to King Street Artworks annual exhibition at Aratoi, I talked to some of the artists who’ll be displaying their work. Noella Godinet’s sculptures will be familiar to anyone who is a regular to these shows. They are always large and fanciful but this latest one might just take the cake – or rather the shoe. It was inspired by a shoe theme set by tutors, and Noella spent over a month working on ‘Cool Outing Kitty’: a papier mache sculpture of a cat in a shoe-shaped travelling basket, complete with tiny bones and fish strung across the top. Papier mache is one of Noella’s favourite materials to work with and she has achieved some ambitious projects with it. She is interested in 18th century costume and culture, and previous sculptures have included be-wigged women and an elaborate horse drawn carriage. Noella attends King Street six days a week, and also works in crochet, doll making and other crafts. She has an exhibition planned at King Street with Trudy Clement, Margaret Herbert and Lynn Corlett in October. Hamish Kummer’s landscape paintings have proved popular at past exhibitions and he has sold many works. One of the pieces in this show is a lake scene based on an 1870s painting (pictured). He often works from art books, gravitating to all manner of appealing landscapes, and is currently creating a work based on a watercolour by New Zealand artist Dorothy Kate Richardson. Amelia Amira has created ‘Herbie’ after watching the movie of the same name. “The passengers are made from toilet rolls and I used cardboard and papier mache,” she says. “Coming to King Street is really interesting, I really enjoy it. You need patience to do papier mache but I have lots of patience.” Her next project is a wharenui that will open out revealing panels inside, and a dragon, both in papier mache. Eddie Wedderburn divides his time between King Street Artworks and The Men’s Shed, also in Masterton. “It’s absolutely fantastic there,” he says. “I’ve made a boomerang, fish…you name it, I do it.” At King Street, Eddie paints in vivid acrylics and showed me one of his paintings: “It’s a portrait of everything I like,” he says, pointing out plants, birds, a mother and father, and two children. Nastassja King has made many drawings, paintings and crafts over her time at King Street. She was inspired to draw a rose with coloured pencils for the show. “I hope to sell it but if not, I will give it to a family member,” she says. Lynn Corlett also worked in papier mache on the shoe theme, and though she often paints her work in bright colours, she chose silver and white this time, to harmonise with the pale shells and buttons decorating the top of the shoe. King Street Artworks is open to all from Monday to Thursday, 10am-3pm, and women only on Fridays at the same times. Also open Saturday 10am-2pm. King Street Artworks annual exhibition, 24 May 2013 - 24 June;