Artist's Books exhibition - CALL FOR ENTRIES!

 

I'm delighted and honoured, and, I have to admit a little intimidated (!), to have been invited to be the juror for this exciting exhibition of artist's books next July.

I completed a 6 week artist's residency and solo exhibition at "from out of the blue studio gallery" in Nov/Dec 2023. It was such an incredible time for me, both personally and for my arts practice, and so I'm excited at the prospect of returning to reconnect with this very special gallery and creative community.

From out of the Blue Studio Gallery

18 Halse Place, Ōpunakē, New Zealand.

Located on the coast of South Taranaki, New Zealand, 
from out of the blue studio gallery 
is a space devoted to all things fibre and fabric 

including a love of artist's books!

The studio gallery is a dream come true for the gallerist/artist Viv Davy.

Visit the gallery website to find out all about this creative space 

and nurturing community including current and upcoming exhibitions, artists,

workshops, onsite artist residency programme, and current calls for entries.

Please visit the gallery website CALL FOR ENTRIES  page 

for FULL specifications for "Boundless"

and the link to the ONLINE ENTRY form 

which includes FAQ and more details.

Any enquiries please email Viv Davy: 

viv@fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com

"Boundless" 

An exhibition that aims to explore the free interpretation of the book format through artists’ books. The focus is on artistic exploration and innovation.

2nd July - 10th August, 2026

There is no theme for this exhibition.

See the website for full details.

Entries are NOW OPEN to artists both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas.

Each artist may submit up to 2 works.

There is a $20.00NZ entry fee per submission.

There is no limit to the format of your artist’s book. It must be ready to hang or to display on a plinth/ table/ shelf.

Entries must have been made within the last 2 years from date of submission. i.e. between April 2024 – April 2026

Entries may have been exhibited before BUT the entry can’t have won any awards or prizes previously.

The Juror will select the winner of the Most Engaging Work Prize and the Highly Commended Prize from the actual pieces in the gallery space. 

Prizes:

Juror’s Choice for Most Engaging Work Prize: $500.00nz
Juror’s Choice for Highly Commended Prize: $250.00nz
People’s Choice Prize awarded at the close of the exhibition valued at $250.00nz.

Timeline for Entries:

Close of digital Submissions:            April 30th 2026

Shipping deadline:                             June 10th 2026                
Winners will be notified:                   Friday 26th June 2026  
Exhibition will be open to public:     Thursday 2nd July 2026
Opening Event with Juror’s Speech: Sunday 5th July from 2pm
Final day of Boundless:                     Monday 10th August 2026

For all enquiries: 

Please visit the gallery website CALL FOR ENTRIES  page 

for FULL specifications 

and the link to the ONLINE ENTRY form 

which includes FAQ and more details.

Any enquiries please email Viv Davy: 

viv@fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com

 

This is such an exciting opportunity 

as there are few opportunities to participate in exhibitions 

primarily for artist's books here in NZ.

Artist's books have flown under the radar here for far too long 

so it's fantastic to see more opportunities, like this, for this expressive 

and dynamic art form to be showcased, 

shared and celebrated more widely.

But wait! I hear you wondering 
“what IS an artist’s book?”

An artist’s book may be considered as “a medium of artistic expression inspired by the FORM or FUNCTION of a “book” to express ideas, concepts or a narrative.”

The FORM of a book includes the attributes that 

make a book a book in a conventional sense:

It may have a cover, a title, pages, chapters, verses, a blurb, characters, a story…

The FUNCTION of a book includes its PURPOSE or INTENT:

To tell a story, record or document, collate, collect, describe, express ideas or concepts, educate, inform…

Therefore an artist’s book may or may not look like a book in a conventional sense.

This exhibition invites you to push the boundaries of what an artist’s book could possibly be. We would like to see makers ‘blow the idea of a ‘book’ apart. 

This is not an exhibition focused on bookbinding. Rather, the content or concept of the structure is a vital element.

I do hope you'll 

consider participating!

Please share this information with 

friends, family, artists, makers and creators of all ilk, 

near and far!

Link to share!

https://tonihartillart.blogspot.com/2025/10/artists-books-exhibition-call-for.html

Thanks for visiting!

WAYMARKERS - Solo Exhibition and Residency, 9 Nov - 17 Dec, from out of the blue studio gallery, Opunake

 

Early in February 2022, as I was preparing for my first-ever solo exhibition, 

Viv Davy contacted me via my blog and extended an invitation 

to have a solo exhibition and to do a residency at her gallery

from out of the blue studio gallery.

Photo credit: from out of the blue studio gallery

 

from out of the blue studio gallery

18 Halse Place,

Opunake

Instagram

@threadthinker

Facebook

from out of the blue studio gallery

Website

fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com

Artist's Profile and exhibition intro:

 https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/toni-hartill/

ALSO EXPLORE:

all of the other artist's connected with the gallery

https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/category/artists/

Keep an eye out for our ART NEWS NZ Ad!

After my initial suspicions were dispelled (that this invitation must surely be a scam) I was beyond delighted, and excited, at the prospect and immediately set about percolating ideas for a completely new body of work focusing attention on my artist's books and mixed media structures. 

Waymarkers, Work in Progress, Toni Hartill

Diorama detail, Toni Hartill

Viv also invited me to exhibit a collection of pieces 

in The Beach group exhibition at the gallery last summer. 

This was a wonderful chance to participate with 

this creative community and I’m so grateful 

to have been invited to contribute alongside such talent. 

Artist's books by Toni Hartill, "The Beach" group exhibition

View earlier blog posts about The Beach HERE, 

including detailed images of my works.

The extreme weather events of Jan/Feb 2023 

hindered my plans to visit the gallery at the time 

however I did have the chance to pop down 

to Opunake in July. 

Road trip to Opunake, Taranaki, July 2023

Read my earlier blog post HERE about my visit to Opunake.

"Taradise" artist's residence and holiday accommodation, Opunake.

Meeting Viv, seeing the gallery and staying in the residency gave us ample opportunity to discuss everything from installation nitty gritty to possible workshops and residency plans. My time with Viv quelled my fears and sent my excitement levels through the roof! 

Now, in Aug 2023, I am at the pointy end of preparations. 

Waymarkers, Work in Progress, Toni Hartill

I think I have completed all new work, more or less... 

and I’m now embarking on the many admin tasks 

required to prepare so many pieces, of such diverse 

size, shape and form, for the exhibition. 

Waymarkers, Work in Progress, Toni Hartill

Waymarkers, Work in Progress, Toni Hartill

Residency Goals

I’m also beginning to plan my goals and intentions for the residency. 

Having this very special time and space to work on my art, away from the distractions of my everyday life, is beyond thrilling. 

Unlike some residencies, where you might be expected to produce a body of work to present at the end of the residency, I have no such commitment. I look forward to creating as inspiration strikes, with time to focus on experimentation and play! 

Now, which sketchbooks should I take? 

My particular interest is to experiment with mark making inspired by the landscape using all manner of media, with a goal of increasing my mark making "vocab" and continuing to grow my arts practice in new and unexpected ways. 

I also hope to make the most of any opportunity to learn new skills 

and to develop ideas for different ways of working.

See you there! 

I am also so looking forward to sharing my work with a new audience and am especially excited to meet some of the many creative people who have a special connection with Viv and her gallery. 

Stay tuned!

Nearer the time, we will announce details for planned

talks, 

demos, 

workshops 

&

gatherings.

And you're invited!

"The Raine it Raineth Every Day" Toni Hartill

Snaily's back! PLUS exhibition & residency NEWS!

"Into the Unknown" Toni Hartill 2023

And, just like that, another snail image has evolved! 

(Well, not really "just like that."
There are a fair few hours of hard graft involved, 
but so very enjoyable to bring this image to life.)

And, as in the earlier images, where the narrative has been 
semi-autobiographical, 
this one is perhaps the most personal so far.

Perhaps it might resonate with you?

SCROLL DOWN
for news of my coming 
SOLO EXHIBITION & ARTIST'S RESIDENCY!

Where the snail tales began!

My first snail image was created as an etching in 2020 
for an exhibition Taonga o te Ngahere - Treasure of the Forest. 
I was inspired to include the endangered kauri snail, pupurangi, 
and the mighty Kauri tree - 
both taonga only found in the north of Aotearoa, NZ.

"Kauri Snail" Toni Hartill 2020
Aluminium etched with copper sulphate
Plate size: A5
Paper size: A4

From this small image I was curious to consider the challenge 

of recreating the image as the largest possible etching 

I could create in my home studio, thus including a lot more detail. 

"Home as a Sanctuary"

This work was created soon after our initial full lockdown 

in 2020, due to the covid pandemic. 

As mentioned in an earlier post, snails seem to have become a totem creature for me 

and I was inspired to attempt to use the kauri snail as a means to gather and convey 

my thoughts at this perilous time. Returning to our family, our homes, 

our physical and spiritual place of belonging, to a place we felt most safe, 

very quickly we seemed to accept that our “worlds” would need to shrink 

back to include our own “back yard", our sanctuary.

"Home as a Sanctuary" Toni Hartill 2020

Aluminium etched with copper sulphate

Plate size: 300mm x 585mm

"Stick to your Bubble"

As we went into a nationwide lockdown, a call went out 
from printmaker Celia Walker, to participate in a print exchange 
inspired by our experiences in isolation and so, this linocut came into being 
to reflect the message of the time, "Stick to your bubble!"

"Stick to your Bubble" Toni Hartill 2020
Linocut SOLD OUT

"A Cautious Reopening"

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

I'm the timid one still inside the jar...

"A Cautious Reopening" Toni Hartill 2021
Linocut
Paper size: A4
Available to purchase from ONLINE SHOP

"P is for Pupurangi"

This image was created for the 

PCANZ collaborative bestiary book project in 2022.

"P is for Pupurangi" Toni Hartill 2022
Linocut

And so.... 

Into the Unknown!

"Into the Unknown" Toni Hartill 2023
Linocut
Image size: approx A4 210 x 297cm
Paper size: A3 297 x 420 cm

In this latest image Snaily is off on her travels alone! 

Out of her jar and away from her bubble!

In the distance is the iconic cone of  Taranaki Maunga 

- a long way from home for a little northland snail!

"Into the Unknown" detail Toni Hartill

It's about summoning the courage to sometimes 

step outside of your comfort zone and to seek 

new horizons, challenges or adventures, 

not really knowing what lies ahead.

It's also about striking out on your own

to try something new, without your usual 

support of family, friends or colleagues.

Sometimes we need to forge our own path, 

to go it alone, 

to discover where we are going next and 

to appreciate where we've been 

or what we've achieved.

SOLO EXHIBITION 

& 

ARTIST'S RESIDENCY

Photo credit: from out of the blue studio gallery

Inspiration!

Early last year I received an invitation, literally from out of the blue, 

from Viv Davy to have a solo exhibition and residency at her beautiful gallery

from out of the blue studio gallery 

Opunake, Taranaki, NZ. 

Nov 9TH -Dec 17TH, 2023

This was an opportunity 

to step out of my comfort zone 

and into the unknown!

Firsts!

This opportunity is an absolute first for me in so many ways, 

personally and for my arts practice.

For starters, I've never been to Opunake. 

I didn't even know where it was! Do you?

I've never been invited to exhibit solo.

And this is the first time I've prepared a special body of work for a solo. 

My first-ever solo, last year, was actually a retrospective 

of my artist books created over 5 - 6 years.

 

Working towards this show has been a huge 

and somewhat daunting undertaking, 

requiring me to create a, mostly, whole new body of work 

in less than a year. 

Taradise - artists' residency and accommodation

Residency!

I've long dreamed of doing a residency!

 To have the opportunity of spending a decent length of time 

in a far-away place, 

(far away enough not to just pop home at the weekends) 

immersed in the environment, 

is beyond exciting. 

Bucket-list stuff!

I've also never left my family to spend more than a few days away.

 

To spend it working on my art is ...!!!

(You may have heard mention of this gallery in earlier posts: 

I was involved in a group show, The Beach, 

last summer, and was due to visit at the end of January 

when we were hit by the Anniversary Weekend floods!)

Recent Visit

My freakout-ometer had been quavering between 

through-the-roof excitement 

and sheer terror.

To set my mind at ease and to help me prepare 

for the many aspects of this great adventure, 

including installation, talks, workshops, 

demos, and the residency,

hubby and I took a long weekend roadie down 

to Opunake to meet Viv and to make plans.

 

Now, I am through-the-roof EXCITED!!

"Into the Unknown" working drawing THartill

I created this image before I ventured down to Opunake,

conjuring up a well-trodden path, 

through lush NZ flora of ferns and flax,

purely from my imagination,

 

although with a tiny spark of inspiration 

from the well-known Charles Heaphy painting 

"Mount Egmont from the Southward" 

as seen here in The Big Picture by Hamish Keith.

"Mount Egmont from the Southward"
Charles Heaphy

I was amazed therefore to see aspects of the landscape emerge, 

a lot like my imagination had conjured!

"Into the Unknown" detail Toni Hartill

"Into the Unknown" detail Toni Hartill

The road, Mt Messenger.

"Into the Unknown" detail Toni Hartill

We circumnavigated the mountain however, 

not a peek did we get.

That's something more to look forward to!

I know you're in there Taranaki Maunga!

Editioning

I have hand printed 2 limited editions, 

each of just 10 lino prints.

Version 1 is a warm brown-black.

Version 2 is a deep blue-black.

Image size: A4

Paper Size: A3

Paper: Fabriano Rosapina 285gsm

Ink: Charbonnel Aquawash

Sales & Enquiries

You are welcome to contact me 

for any enquiries or to purchase.

NOW AVAILABLE 

in my ONLINE SHOP!

Prints can be picked up from me 

in Auckland or couriered. 

$135 NZD each

Free tracked Economy Courier within NZ only.

Rural delivery and Signature services are extra.

I will also take some with me to Opunake

in November.

If you would like to reserve a print, 

of either colour, blue-black or brown-black,

to pick up from me in Opunake

please message me to arrange.

My exhibition will be open to the public 

 Nov 9th - Dec 17th, 2023.

I will be in residence for this entire period of time 

and look forward to meeting and connecting with others 

in and around the Opunake, Taranaki region.

Please do come say Hi!

"Into the Unknown" editioning brown-black version Toni Hartill

"Into the Unknown" editioning blue-black version Toni Hartill

"Into the Unknown" editioning Toni Hartill

"Into the Unknown" editioning Toni Hartill

"Into the Unknown" two colourways Toni Hartill

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Photo credit: from out of the blue studio gallery

from out of the blue studio gallery

https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/

Thanks for visiting!