Wai Art Show, Holloway Street, Masterton (2026)

10/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Mike Moran

Since arriving in Carterton six years ago, I have been re-establishing myself as a photographer and one who captures a more eclectic variety of subjects. Previously. I was largely a sports photographer.

My work has been exhibited and sold through Heart of Arts (an exhibition there recently) and through Entice Cafe. People who have seen and admired my work have purchased privately.

I am proud to have had photographs chosen to be part of the 2023 and 2025 Wairarapa Reviews at Aratoi. During some years as member/President of the Hutt Camera Club, I both exhibited and won competitions.

I was set on a new path during Covid when I explored and photographed the nearby Carterton countryside. My eye was caught by the little moments of everyday life, but ones often unseen or not normally noticed. This has enabled me to capture a diversity of aspects of nature, landscape and people, often with a slightly quirky twist.

I - mike.moran.5070
F - Mike Moran

10/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Brinwyn Close

I have a passion for gardens, flowers, wildlife and love to paint and try to capture some of the nature around me.

I have two grown up children and 5 grandchildren, all living close by.

My husband suggested I use our old caravan to be my painting studio, after he was getting a bit fed up with painting paraphernalia all over the house, this has proved to be a brilliant idea. Every chance I get when I'm not gardening, looking after grandkids etc, that's where I was to be found.

We have recently moved to Carterton and I now have my own studio so really looking forward to being able to expand my workspace.

My paintings have been accepted by the NZ Academy of Fine Arts and I have recently exhibited and sold in the Hutt Art Gallery and Carterton Heart of Arts.

My artwork is predominantly florals, painted in acrylics and inks. I also use collage and decoupage often in my work.

I - Bronwynclose5
F - Bronwyn Close

09/09/2026

One of today's artists is

David Owen

David was born in Wales and came to New Zealand with his family when he was 11.

He sold his first painting at 17. He completed a diploma of visual communication and design at Wellington Polytechnic in the 1980s.

For many years he worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for Wellington Newspapers. Later, he worked at Weta digital as a rotoscope and textures artist.
When living in Kapiti, he took part in several successful Kapiti Arts Trail shows and exhibited around the Wellington region.

He has completed many commissions for clients across New Zealand and Australia.
After recently relocating to the Wairarapa, he is reestablishing his art practice.

I paint mainly in acrylic on stretched canvas, sometimes on board. I also work in oils, watercolour and digital.

My work often depicts New Zealand scenes with a bit of a surreal twist. They are often a composite of different scenes and objects, or totally imagined. I draw inspiration from a whole range of things; a dilapidated building, a strange tree, an unusual texture or shadow, anything really.

Many of my commissions are of houses or shops that have some special significance to the client.

I - djowenimages
F - David Owen Art & Illustration
W - daveowen.gt6.wixsite.com

09/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Mark Haydock

I come from a two generations of artists that focused on drawing and painting.

My passion for creativity and artistic expression started as boy and continued into college and later life. I love to observe and study our natural environment and interpret it in a way that enhances its beauty.

If I can communicate this in a two dimensional way, I believe I have succeeded in achieving my goal.

I like to work in chalk pastel covering a range of subject matter. The work on show today focuses on New Zealand landscapes.

Currently I am fascinated by the subject of man and his machines, and the interaction he has with his environment. The seascape Lighthouse is an exploration of this theme.

I - flight_ofimagination_ao
F - flight of imagination@
W - flightofimagination.nz

09/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Matt Cannell

I am a Carterton-based artist whose practice is based in experimentation which often leads to unexpected outcomes.

Working typically across drawing, photography and painting, I am more interested in where the process takes me, rather than the final outcome. I establish a set of rules and then observe how time, materials, and chance shape the final work. I like to be as surprised by the final piece as any other observer might be.

I studied creative arts at university and work as a designer for digital products. Professionally, my design principles are influenced by the clarity and restraint of the Bauhaus movement and Dieter Rams' philosophy that‚ good design is as little design as possible, whereas my artwork provides a complete counterbalance to this. It embraces complexity, ambiguity and abstraction, creating space for curiosity and chaos rather than certainty.

Across all of my work is a simple question: what happens if I let the process lead? The answer is rarely predictable, and exploring that uncertainty continues to drive my practice.

W - canfield.nz

08/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Janey Halliday

I'm an emerging artist living in the Wairarapa.

Having always faffed about with art materials I started my art journey in ernest 5 years ago with the encouragement and support of Jane Sinclair.

I've recently given up my job to fully immerse myself in the art world, concentrating on my work and teaching painting and drawing to children and adults in the Wairarapa region.

We all live in a region where we see these scenes play out on a daily basis. We see sheep in a paddock, birds in a tree; most of us don't give it a second thought. I like to portray these creatures in a way that they step off the canvas and remind us there are other lives being lived all around us if we take a moment to stop and look.

I love painting the animals and birds that surround me using the textural acrylic paint to recreate woolly coats and fluffy feathers. I've grown up around animals having lived on farms and I love to capture the beauty in an odd expression of a bird or the woolly face of a sheep, or the movement of a flock of sheep in the yards. It's about capturing the everyday moments that go unseen by most of us.

I - Janey_halliday_art
F - janey.halliday.art

08/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Elissa Smith

I'm a local artist, born in Masterton. I moved away while I was teaching at primary schools in the Hutt Valley and moved back 7 years ago. I'm now teaching regular watercolor and drawing classes and occasional pastel workshops. I also teach an after-school class at Gladstone School.

I have been involved in many group and solo exhibitions in Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa.

My art is in homes around the world.

I mostly base my art on things in nature using Watercolour, pen, pastels, oils and printing techniques.

My favourite subjects are birds, insects, flowers and local scenes. I also enjoy exploring more abstract themes such as land forms altered by earthquakes.

F - ELISSA Florence Smith

07/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Tamar Brinfield

Tamar Brinfield is a dopamine artist who specialises in fluid and mixed media works. She is based in Porirua, New Zealand. For much of her adult life, she set aside her paints and craft supplies while raising her three children. In 2017, she founded the Facebook group Porirua Rocks, where spreading joy through painting rocks and hiding them in local parks quickly became a community phenomenon. This creative project reignited her passion for art and marked the beginning of her artistic journey.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Tamar decided to take her art more seriously. It was during this time that she discovered her love of colour, texture, and experimenting with new techniques‚Äîelements that have become the foundation of her artistic style today.

Her favourite subjects are sunsets, oceans and flowers which lead beautifully into the bright artworks she loves to produce.

I - Artbythecupnz
F - Artbythecupnz

07/09/2026

One of today's artists is

Ben Timmins

Based in the Wairarapa, New Zealand, Ben Timmins is an artist whose work is inspired by the quietness, mystery, and intense aliveness found in nature. He sees realism as much as the surreal, using painting as a balance of external observation and inner inspiration. His work embraces familiar references that reflect upon this mystery, inviting viewers to pause and look more deeply.

After discovering a strong connection to painting at a young age, Ben embarked on a long journey of experimentation, using the creative process as a primordial language of expression. Fascinated by the depth visual art can convey, he strives to create works capable of touching the viewer with either intimacy or severity.

He studied at various art institutions before allowing a long period of reflection to develop his own artistic voice and methods of communicating ideas through painting. With over 35 years of creative experience, his practice continues to evolve, guided by the principles of sincerity, authenticity, and craftsmanship, while remaining open to new inspiration that leads into unfamiliar, exciting, and sometimes intimidating territory.

Ben has received recognition through art awards and has exhibited in galleries, art shows, and open studio events throughout New Zealand.

""Honest inner reflection complemented with honest action is art."""

W - bentimmins.com

06/09/2026

One of today's artist is

Vanessa Robertson

Based in Masterton, I balance life between our small family canvas manufacturing business and my passion for art.

Horses have always been a big part of my world, and animals naturally became my favourite subjects to draw. Working in pastel pencils, I focus on detailed, soft realism that highlights the character and quiet beauty of wildlife.

I offer contemporary wildlife art in a soft realism style with minimalist background to showcase the animal's character.

F - vanessarobertsonart

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