P is for ... PCANZ Collaborative Bestiary Book

 

"P is for Pupurangi", linocut by Toni Hartill

P is for...

Pupurangi!

"P is for Pupurangi", linocut by Toni Hartill

These are New Zealand's endangered northern giant land snails, 

the New Zealand kauri snail,

also known by it's scientific name 

Paryphanta spp.

of which there are two species:

Paryphanta Busbyi 

up to 79 mm shell diameter

&

Paryphanta watti

up to 62 cm shell diameter

To learn more about these beautiful critters visit the DOC website HERE.

(...and also known by friends as 

SNAILY!)

"P is for Pupurangi"

Edition of 30

Hand pulled linocut prints.

This edition of prints was created for the 

PCANZ collaborative bestiary book project.

Participating members across Aotearoa New Zealand were organised into 4 groups, including an international group who collaborated with printmakers in Wales.

I'm in the Auckland group, which also includes a couple of people 
from further afield to make up numbers.

The Rules

Everyone was assigned their letter randomly and we were invited to create a design of a real or imaginary creature or animal relating to our letter.

The letter had to be part of the design.

Printing could be edge to edge or with a border.

Perhaps not surprisingly I was pretty keen on including SNAILY in some form so I was searching which letters could also include him eg. Escargot, Gastrapod, Mollusc... There were a few options!

(If you've followed my work for a while, you'll know of my affinity to snails.)

Everyone has now completed their edition of 30 prints and they have been collated into complete alphabet sets, ready to be returned to participants while master copies have been returned to the organisers to be bound into books for the PCANZ archive and future exhibitions.

An Auckland workshop is planned shortly to share ways of either binding the prints into a book or creating a box to hold the prints.

At present I'm experimenting and researching possibilities and will report back on progress on the next stage of this collaborative project and to share ALL of the pages from the book.

Researching binding techniques

In the meantime, scroll down to view...

The Making of "P is for Pupurangi"

Thanks for visiting!

Stay tuned to see how we might bind the books 

PLUS 

to view ALL of the prints in the collection.

Find out about 

PCANZ

Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand

"A Cautious Reopening" - The Sequel

 

"A Cautious Reopening" Limited Edition linocut by Toni Hartill

Inspired by the experience of being in an extended lockdown from August til December 2021, in Auckland, New Zealand / Aotearoa, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this linocut was created to express my (and others') cautiousness towards the stepped reopening of our bubbles. 

In the second year of the pandemic, I think no-one was surprised when the Delta variant finally arrived in Auckland via the Aussie travel bubble and NZ went into a Level 4 lockdown on August 18th. The rest of the country moved down (and up and down) the levels while Auckland moved to Level 3 after 5 weeks, and then only gradually eased some restrictions while still in level 3 for another looong10 weeks when we are all due to move into a new "framework" as vaccination rates reach 90%. 

Coincidentally, yesterday, as I wrote this, it was announced that all of the country will move to the new framework next Thursday, 2nd Dec. Scroll to the end for a final comment.

As many can relate this lockdown has not been an easy experience for so many reasons. 

Any ability to be creative completely deserted me for weeks due to the general malaise of "Lockdownitis", the uncertainty caused by having my solo exhibition due to open but not knowing when or if, plus some intense family health dramas. It has only been very recently that I have been inspired and able to begin some new work and to look forwards to new goals.

Scroll down to read about the work 

and to see the making of the print.

"A Cautious Reopening" by Toni Hartill

"A Cautious Reopening"

Paper size: A4 / 210mm x 297mm
Media: Linocut
Paper: Hahnemuhle Stella Matte, 230 gsm
Limited Edition of 30

Prints are available to purchase in my online shop

tonihartill.felt.co.nz

or click the SHOP link in the toolbar above.

FREE Standard shipping in NZ.

SALE: 

To celebrate Auckland's reopening 

10% off all shop sales until midnight Dec 14th.

Use VOUCHER CODE: REOPENING-AK21

"Stick to your Bubble" by Toni Hartill (SOLD OUT)

A sequel

This new linocut is a sequel to my "Stick to your Bubble" linocut, created during the first lockdown in March 2020, when the entire world began locking down due to the pandemic. Click here to see and read about this earlier work which was created for a print exchange, "Distant Conversations", to mark this unusual period in our lives.

"At a time when we were confined to our homes and our lives had to slow right down, snails seemed to be a particularly apt totem. The snail's habit of withdrawing into its shell when a threat is perceived, and its ability to seal itself away for long periods, being completely self-reliant seemed especially relevant." 

Toni Hartill

Yes!! More SNAILS!

As you can see, NZ Kauri snails again have the starring role. I've previously written about my attachment to snails as a personal totem and have included them in a few earlier artworks including "Pūpūrangi/ Kauri Snail, Kauri" and "Home as a Sanctuary". 

This time the snails are seen venturing out of their jar (bubble). 

The lid is off and they are emerging, albeit cautiously.

As in earlier work I have researched the symbolic meaning of some of our native plants with the intention of adding layers of meaning that is relevant to this particular period of transition in our lives.

Toni Hartill

NZ Kauri leaves

The kauri is a symbol of courage, encouraging us to move forward with our plans for the future with renewed creative energy and motivation as new opportunities for growth open up to us.

Toni Hartill

Fern leaves 

Ferns are a symbol of new life and new beginnings. 

Toni Hartill

Pohutukawa leaf

The Pohutukawa is celebrated as "the NZ Christmas tree" with it's vibrant red, fluffy blooms appearing in early December. With Christmas and the summer holidays rapidly approaching it is certainly a driver behind the speed at which restrictions are being eased and, in particular, Auckland's closed borders are being allowed to open.

Toni Hartill

Kowhai seedling

The kowhai,  NZ's unofficial national tree, is said to symbolise personal growth and helps people move on from the past with a renewed sense of adventure. Flowering in spring it is a sign of new life and a new start. In the image the seedling sprouts forth out of the confines of the jar.

Making of

Click on an image: it will enlarge on your screen and
you can then scroll through all of the images.

Or just continue scrolling here.

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Proofing

Once the lino has been carved and all the woolly bits cleaned up, the process of proofing (for me) involves multiple prints as I test, evaluate, tweak and revaluate my carving until I am happy that it "reads" as I intend. It usually involves tentatively seeking feedback from members of the family to check how others might view the work. 

(Please don't crush me with your harsh critiques but give me honest, constructive comments!)

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Editioning

Once I'm happy with all tweaking and I've mixed the ink to the desired colour, in this case a warm black by mixing yellow ochre and black, I set up the press with a guide for registration and put runners in place ready to start printing. The paper, is cut to size and ready to go. Then it's time to  dial up some cruisy music to get me in the zone and the editioning begins!

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Toni Hartill

Today's Announcement

Today it was announced that Auckland, and the whole of NZ, will move to the new "traffic light system" next Thursday, 2 December. For Aucklanders, after 15 weeks in lockdown, this will mean more "freedoms" such as being able to access hospitality venues and events using our new Vaccination Passes. On December 15th all double vaccinated or tested people will be able to exit Auckland for the summer.

Many Aucklanders are chomping at the bit to get the "hell outa dodge", understandably. 

Some of us are a bit more tentative about what the border opening and eased restrictions will mean for the coming months. Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely PINING to get up north with my family and to get away to sea for the summer BUT I'm also wary of the rising case numbers, the spreading virus, the vulnerable members of our communities and the squeezed health system. 

So, like my snail buddies, I'm all for a cautious reopening.

 

Stay well, stay safe, 

wherever you are.

Toni Hartill

Many thanks 

for visiting my blog!

Taonga o te Ngahere - Etchings of NZ Flora & Fauna

Nga Taonga o te Ngahere (Treasures of the Forest) is an exhibition, held in collaboration with NZ Forest & Bird and The Overwintering Project and is currently presented at the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa, north of Auckland. The combined exhibitions, curated by Val Cuthbert, include works by over 20 local artists in a wide variety of media. All works were created to draw attention to flora and fauna which is under threat in our region from habitat loss and predation.

 

My etchings represent the Auckland green gecko or kākāriki in a Manuka tree, kauri snails or pūpūrangi, beneath a kauri tree, and native morepork, or ruru, in a Puriri tree. All prints are on A4 size paper and therefore able to fit in a standard frame as seen below.

 

“Kākāriki/Auckland Gecko, Manuka” Toni Hartill

 

 

 

Artist Statement:

Found only in the northern half of the North Island, but south of Whangaroa, the Auckland green gecko or Kākāriki is classified as “at risk” from pests, urban development, and competition for food and habitats.

Kauri snails or pūpūrangi were once widespread throughout Northland. They are now endangered due to habitat destruction and predation.

The native morepork, or ruru, is known for its melancholic call. They are commonly found in forests throughout New Zealand. Although not technically threatened their numbers are in gradual decline due to predation and loss of habitat.

 

 

 

 “Kākāriki/Auckland Gecko, Manuka”, Toni Hartill

 Aluminium etching, silver leaf

Paper size: A4, Edition of 5

 

 

 

“Ruru/Morepork, Puriri”, Toni Hartill

Medium: Aluminium etching

Paper size: A4, Edition of 5

“Ruru/Morepork, Puriri” (detail), Toni Hartill

“Pūpūrangi/ Kauri Snail, Kauri”, Toni Hartill

Medium: Aluminium etching

Paper size: A4, Edition of 8

“Pūpūrangi/ Kauri Snail, Kauri” (detail), Toni Hartill

To view more images and to learn about the process involved 

in creating these works please visit my earlier posts:

Getting to grips with Copper Sulphate Etching - Part 1

Getting to grips with Copper Sulphate Etching - Part 2