Thursday, 9 February 2023

Summer and Rain in New Zealand 

This year we have had so much rain recently and such extremes,firstly a very dry spell over Christmas and now floods. Another cyclone is approaching so more soggy garden  and boughs off trees.

Here are two paper cuts which I have made recently, the first one shows some of our small mountain plants and the other one even smaller plants from the microflora on Ulva Island which is a small Island off Stewart Island.  Here grows tiny liverworts, ferns and orchids which you have to really stop and look at closely, the tieke come down to see what is about, moving the leaf litter with their beaks and calling loudly to their .mates








All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2023

Sunday, 6 November 2022

Photos of Bushy Park  New Zealand


Bushy Park lies North of Whanganui in the North Island of New Zealand.
I took these photographs in 1974 when I was staying there with my parents
who were managing the property.
When there were no visitors I was able to go around early in the morning
when the shadows were very strong and the place deserted.  The house and
grounds were then all run by the Forest and Bird Society.


The Main Corridor



The Homestead from the Front Garden




The Garden from the West Side

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2022

Sunday, 28 August 2022


 Cathedral Square, Christchurch in 1969



Looking through some old negatives lately I found these photographs of 

Cathedral Square in 1969, I have over forty of them which I have deposited

with the Christchurch City Library Archives.




 







This is the Regent Cinema

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2022

Thursday, 14 April 2022

Native New Zealand Plants in Paper 


I made some paper cuts while on a residency in Whanganui during January this year.

The weather was hot and dry and windy I visited the beach at Castlecliff,

the Bason Reserve, Bushy Park and the Winter Gardens and here

are some of the images I made.




This is Kopakapa (Chatham Island Forgetmenot) and Tikumu (Mountain Daisy)



 Maikaika (Easter Orchid) and the Seaside Ice Plant



Corokia and Pohutukawa


Poroporo and Puawananga (clematis)

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2022



Sunday, 19 December 2021

A Christmas Papercut from New Zealand


 A Christmas Papercut of Pohutukawa 


Here is a papercut which I have just made of pohutukawa blossom our

New Zealand Christmas tree.


Blooming now it's flowers attract a variety of insects and birds and it is a much

loved symbol of Christmas in New Zealand.


An old postcard from New Zealand


All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2021

midnightcollective.blogspot.nz

Wednesday, 11 August 2021

A New Exhibition at the Glasgow Street Arts Centre Whanganui

 

A New Exhibition

I have a new exhibition at the Glasgow St Arts Centre in Whanganui  I have called it Gonville Days and it recalls the years we lived in Whanganui and the residency we enjoyed in 2019


This is called Archillea after the wild yarrow,  it is painted from friend's garden



This is called Feverfew from the white frothy flowers seen in this wild garden



This is a drawing I made of the inside of the Winter Gardens, this large urn
is a feature inside the Gardens which are always so beautifully kept.

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2021







Saturday, 17 April 2021

Remembering Family from World War I

Remembering family lost during World War I


It is Anzac Day very soon so it is time to remember those we lost during World War I.  Archie Studd died on the Ist of July 1916 at the Battle of Gommencourt,  Felix Alexander died on the 16th September 1916 in the Somme neither of them fought for the Anzacs  Archie was in the London Scottish and Felix in the Royal Norfolks.  They were my Great Uncles.

I have made a special paper cutout of red poppies in remembrance but first here they are.Archie is on the left and Felix on the right, my father was named for Felix.  My father fought in World War II, he went to France with the expeditionary force in 1940 and was evacuated from Dunkirk









Red Poppies in Remembrance


All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2021