Rare New Zealand Dotterel at Waikanae Estuary

Rare New Zealand Dotterel

For the first time a dotterel has raised two chicks at Waikanae Estuary.

We have seen the adult birds there on many occasions but the chicks

are a new event here for the endangered bird.

The Department of Conservation has put up signs warning dog owners to keep

them on a leash, and the chicks have caused excitement among local

bird watchers.

This is a Spring Garden painting made from an old photograph.  This lovely 

garden was used as the scene for many family afternoon teas and picnics.  

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Painting image copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Dotterel photos courtesy of the local paper.

The Centenary of World War I, Remembering Family

Remembering family who died in World War I

I have photographs of two family who died in World War I and of another who

fought and survived.  Here is a photo of Archie Studd and Felix Alexander.

Archie is on the left, he served in the London Regiment (London Scottish), he died on

the first of July at the Battle of Gommencourt he was 22 years old.

Felix on the right served in the Northumberland Fusiliers, Norfolk Regiment and 

he died on the 14th of November 1916, he was only 20.  They are remembered on

the Thiepval Memorial. They are shown with a white poppy for peace.

Ernest Studd was a second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers and survived.

All three are now commemorated at the Lochnagar Crater Memorial.

These young men are remembered with thousands of others on this centenary.

This is Ernest George Studd he was younger than my Grandfather and would have 

have been about thirty when the war began. He had trained as a tailor with my

  Grandfather who was exempt from joining up as he was doing

essential war work making uniforms at the family firm.

Here is their advertisement for toga coats from the Country Life magazine.

They made nurses coats and uniforms as well as those for the troops.

 All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

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New Zealand baby fur seal at Peka Peka Beach

Baby Seal at Peka Peka

This baby seal was seen at Peka Peka Beach recently, it is quite usual for seals

this small to visit our beaches as they are left to fend for themselves by their 

mothers.  This one was playing in the shallows but approached a family

 and went up to sniff their hands.  The Department of Conservation advises

that they should not be approached and dogs should be kept on leashes.

Someone in Raumati South returned from the beach to find one on her porch,

and it didn't stop there going inside her house to sit by the fire for about

ten minutes. It also ate the fish she had saved for her supper.  

The number of seals visiting our beaches seems to be rising as they recover from the
being harvested for their pelts in the eighteenth century.  They are now fully protected
but are sometimes caught in nets from fishing vessels.

Photos courtesy Stuff .co.nz

Bird and Beetles from New Zealand

The Extinct Huia

The Huia bird is now extinct, I made this drawing using a photograph of huia skins

which are common in our museums.  They were beautiful birds of black and

white with much valued tail feathers with a white tip, they lived only in

the North Island and had very limited flight using bounds and leaps to

travel through the trees.  In 1901 the tail feather became a fashionable item

to adorn hats and hair after being seen on the Duke of York's hat when he

visited New Zealand, this and predation as well as loss of habitat led to the 

extinction of this lovely bird.  This drawing is a lament, I have called

it Huia Singing in the Kowhai.

Here are some of our native beetles, New Zealand has an amazing 

selection of weevil and other types of small insects.  Many are most active at

night so the black paper seems to suit them.

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

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A New Exhibition at Gallery 85

On Friday my exhibition opened at Gallery 85 at 85 Glasgow St

Whanganui.  The exhibition includes work from my 'Mantle' photo series

 of reworked historic clothing, also a small set of drawings

using more recent garments.

This drawing is called 'I Moved My Arms Around' which it taken from

a song about swimming.  The top right swimsuit belonged to Marilyn

Munroe.

This drawing is just called 'Slippers' and comes from a shop window display.

'The Red Dress' from a desirable model in the 50s.

A mantua from the historical garments used for 'Mantle'

A dress with a lace bodice also from the 'Mantle' series.

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Drawings of clothing

Drawings of Clothing

Here are some drawings of clothing, I began to make these after seeing

celebrity sales such as the clothing of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

I wondered what remained with the clothing that made them desirable.

This is Janet Frame's Gown, Janet used to live around the corner from us

in Whanganui.  We enjoyed tea parties with her, eating Boston Buns

and biscuits with copious amounts of tea.  It is a star spangled dress as she

had been writing her biography at that time which gave her great acclaim.

Janet's Day Dress

This is a watercolour of a Christening Gown, finely sewn with lace

inserts and a family heirloom.

This is a beaded cardigan, I can remember these being worn and they were

made in New Zealand, maybe in the 70s.

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

 

A Lost Wilderness in New Zealand

A Lost Wilderness

This is a painting which I made from photographs of a local  wetland which

has now disappeared under an expressway.  I have called it

Morning Glory after the bright blue/purple flowers which

bloomed around the grasses and other wild flowers.

Once a haven for ducks and other birds only a few now visit

and usually during the shooting season.

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Knitted Spoons from New Zealand

Knitted Spoons

This work is called  'A Deal with the Devil'  and is now on display in the

 Small Sculpture Award Exhibition at the Community Art Gallery in Oneroa,

Waiheke Island, Auckland.

I started to make it during the last American presidential election and it refers

to an old English saying: 

He who sups with the devil must use a long spoon

There are eleven spoons made with different types of yarn.

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

World Water Day from New Zealand

Two Lakes on World Water Day

Here are two paintings of New Zealand Lakes for World Water Day.

The first is Lake Rotomahana made from a photograph taken in

1865, and before the massive Tarawera Eruption which took place on the 10th of June 1886. 

 Several villages were buried and 150 people died.

There were some portents of the forth coming eruption and I have tried

to capture the foreboding atmosphere.

The second one is of Lake Tarawera from  Wairoa in 1873.  Before the eruption a ghost

canoe was seen on the lake by one of the tour guides and bubbles of very fine

glass floated to the surface.

Both of these paintings were made from historic photographs, Mt Tarawera was blown

apart from the force of the eruption and the Pink and White Terraces which were an

important tourist attraction were destroyed.



Frances Jill Studd website

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Drawings from a New Zealand Wetland

Drawings from a Wetland

I made these drawings from plants I collected while walking around our local

wetland.  There were a large variety of non-native species which lent

themselves to this particular way of making images.

I also made some small paintings from the earlier Spring flowers which

appeared in gardens adjacent to the wetland, this particular diptych

is from a magnolia tree.

Frances Jill Studd website

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

War photos and an Oyster Catcher from New Zealand

The Oyster Catcher

This is one of my favourite birds and we see it often at Raumati Beach, our resident

pair are now missing and we hope that they are successfully raising some

chicks elsewhere.  They seem to move away to nest, perhaps to somewhere

quieter with less people and dogs.

The Battle in the Atlantic WWII

Here are two photographs taken by my Uncle during World War II, he served in the Royal Navy

and was a keen photographer.  The first one is taken during the Battle of the Atlantic where he

served on a corvette, although I don't know what the story is around this photograph it does

seem to be taken from a life boat. 



He also served in the waters around South Africa and took this photograph while ashore.

All his photographs are now held by the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth, England.

Frances Jill Studd website

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018