Meet Archey! Towards Predator Free NZ 2050

"Archey's Stand" by Toni Hartill

I'd like to introduce you to my latest linocut 

ARCHEY'S STAND.

On Saturday 16th August Archey will be installed in the first of two exhibitions

"Towards Predator Free NZ 2050
and not just for the birds"

at the beautiful Auckland Botanic Gardens.

I'm delighted to have been invited to participate in this exhibition 

to promote and celebrate the immense achievements of  

Predator Free NZ 2050.

It didn't take me long to decide that I wanted to raise awareness 

of these incredible, unique and almost invisible 

frogs and the challenges they face, NOW more than EVER!

SCROLL on for 

 

• my ARTIST STATEMENT 
• the PRESS RELEASE for the coming exhibitions
• to view the THE MAKING OF this print edition + my TIPS
• details about how to PURCHASE

"Archey's Stand" by Toni Hartill

ARTIST'S STATEMENT:

Archey’s Stand

Limited edition linocut

What is a lino cut?

Scroll down to view my process.

When a certain government minister uttered the flippant comment “if there is a mining opportunity and it’s impeded by a blind frog, goodbye, Freddy” [1] he raised the hackles of many.

Archey’s frog, the world’s “most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered amphibian species” [2] is only found in two locations in the north island and they are notably in the way of fast-track plans to expand Oceanagold mining operations in the Coromandel.

An ancient species, endemic to Aotearoa, and the smallest of our 3 remaining frogs at less than 4cm long, they can’t croak, have no ear drums and hatch as tailed froglets. Their markings are so unique and distinctive that they can be used to identify individual frogs.[3]

Brushing aside a threatened species, as an impediment to economic progress, disregards the importance of any such species as an important element in our ecosystem, no matter how tiny or inconspicuous.

By shining a spotlight on “Archey” I hope to raise awareness of their plight as they battle against predators, disease, environmental challenges and economic imperatives.

 

[1]https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/goodbye-freddy

[2] https://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/archeys-frog/

[3] https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/reptiles-and-frogs/frogs-pepeketua/archeys-frog/

I hope you can visit the exhibition 

at either venue:

"Towards Predator Free NZ 2050
and not just for the birds"

Auckland Botanic Gardens

Manurewa

17 August - 13 September, 2025

Estuary Arts Centre

Orewa

23 September - 25 October, 2025

OPENING EVENT: Sat 27th Sept, 3 - 5pm

Thank you to Valerie Cuthbert for all her hard work

 planning, organizing and curating this project

and for the opportunity to participate.

Thanks to Creative NZ for funding.

PRESS RELEASE:

Art Meets Conservation: “Towards Predator Free 2050” Exhibition Series.

Aotearoa's remarkable biodiversity and the people who work to protect it will take centre stage in a major multi-venue art event later in 2025. A programme of exhibitions, talks, walks and workshops  will bring predator control into the creative spotlight.

Under the theme “Towards Predator Free 2050” this initiative aims to celebrate, inform and inspire, acknowledging the immense efforts of thousands of New Zealanders – many of them volunteers – dedicated to saving our native species from extinction.

The event will be hosted at both the Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa, and the Estuary Arts Centre in Orewa, offering accessible and engaging experiences for people of all ages. Visitors can attend free workshops, guided walks and artist-led talks that delve into ecological themes combining creativity and knowledge.

Partnering in the event is Forest & Bird, one of New Zealand's longest- standing conservation organisations, whose involvement highlights the scientific and community–driven efforts behind predator control. 

The exhibition brings together an impressive collective of 6 specialist tutors and 40 artists. Each has committed to producing work that reflects the central theme: the ecological damage caused by invasive introduced species – those on 4 legs like stoats, weasles, rats, possums, feral cats and increasingly unregulated domestic cats, winged species like wasps, as well as plant species like Caulerpa and Myrtle rust – and the work being done to help ameliorate it. The works will explore the fragility of native species such as birds, frogs, geckos, skinks, weta, bats and even native snails, and interpret the deep cultural, environmental and emotional connections we have with them.

Through sculpture, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewellery and glasswork, the works will examine not only the loss and destruction but also the hope and ingenuity driving predator Free 2050 – a national goal to eradicate introduced predators and diseases by mid-century.

Join us in celebrating the passion and perseverance behind the movement for predator- free Aotearoa. Through creativity and community we can help ensure that future generations will hear the dawn chorus of native birds and walk in forests alive with the creatures unique to these islands.

 

For more information, interviews  or images please contact the curator:

            Valerie Cuthbert  0210567362, valeriecuthbert@xtra.co.nz 

            @valerie.cuthbert @exhibition2025.

 

AND NOW
please enjoy a tour of the making of 
"ARCHEY'S STAND"

Designing the Image

Archey's frogs are tiny at less than 4 cm long so "my Archey" needed to be hugely scaled up in size to be the centrepiece of this image.

 I therefore needed to scale up his surroundings too and I spent quite some time studying various mosses and other tiny plants up close so I could enlarge these in scale with Archey.

I became fascinated with the huge variety of mosses and their many different patterns and leaf structures. I really wanted to create a feeling of a lush mossy mound.

A stunning walk in the local Waitakere Ranges to the Fairy Falls provided me with ample inspiration and reference photographs to assist with this project and many more besides.

My Carving Set-up

To enable lengthy sessions of carving lino I built a sloped desk so I can work standing up and have all my tools within easy reach. I repurposed my children's wooden art easel by chopping off the legs, flipping it on it's back and I added a tool rack, and a lip at the bottom edge to stop everything sliding off. 

It's really worth taking the time to ensure you have a comfortable set up for working to avoid straining your body. Once I begin carving I become quite obsessed - excited to see the progress yet on tenterhooks, hoping I won't mess up!

My carving set up

My Favourite Tools

My preferred carving tools are Flexcut micro tools 

and a selection of very fine Pfiel tools.

I never sharpen my tools but keep them constantly honed 

using leather strops and the handy Flexcut Slip Strop tool.

My favoured carving tools

For more organic textures I love using a Dremel-type rotary 

tool with a very fine burr. 

I used my dremel tool to create Archey's textures.

Burrs can be purchased very cheaply from jewellery suppliers 

and, if looked after, can last "forever."

There are several different brands of rotary tools available. I'm currently 

using a cheaper brand tool and it performs very well for my needs.

I use a Flex Shaft Attachment which is much more comfortable 

to hold for fine work than holding the rotary tool itself.

My rotary tool with shaft attachment and fine burr

Preparing the Lino

I use battle-ship grey, hessian backed lino 

purchased from an art supplies store. 

Preparing my lino

I prepare my lino by sanding it with fine wet-and-dry sandpaper, 

WITH water, to remove the plasticky surface and any hint 

of a machined texture. This gives a much nicer matte surface to work on 

and it holds the ink better, giving a more even print.

There are brands of lino which already have a lovely 

matte surface so possibly no sanding is required.

I then stain the lino with a coat of thinned Indian ink 

to make it easier to see my pencil drawing 

and to see clearly what I'm carving.

I don't pre-plan all of my detail and markings, I work this out as I carve.

I always have some scraps of lino to the side 

that I can warm up on or practice making marks on.

This is possibly the stage I LOVE the most.

And then I carve!

The completed carved lino

Stop-motion of my lino carving process

I love creating a stop-motion animation of my carving process 

so I can watch the image magically appear out of the black background.

It's also reassuring to see how I'm progressing over time especially 

when I feel like it's taking me forever to make progress.

Besides, I just love stop-motion.

Editioning

Limited edition of 15

Before I could edition the image I needed to decide on the colour and the type of paper.

After much experimenting I chose to mix a dark earthy brown and print onto Tiepolo printmaking paper which is ever so slightly creamy in colour.

The paper is torn slightly smaller than the lino block and the image is printed right to the edge.

The prints are numbered in pencil in the front left-hand corner and signed in the right-hand corner.

Previously I've printed an image of this size onto larger paper leaving a white border however, while testing a number of variations for this image I really liked the effect of it being printing to the very edge of the torn paper with the intention that it would be float mounted in a frame.

Before I committed to this decision I took 3 different coloured prints to the framers and experimented with available framing options to choose which option I most preferred for the effect I was aiming for.

Taking the time to do this resolved any doubts I was feeling about my decision which meant I felt confident to go ahead and print the edition.

This was an excellent lesson for next time!

A visit to the framer to end any indecision

Inking Up...

And Printing!

A Second Variation in Green

Limited edition of 6

I enjoyed printing this image so much and so wanted to experiment with different colours and different papers. I happened to have some beautiful yellow mulberry paper so I mixed a mossy green colour and printed onto some carefully torn sheets.

I've never printed an edition on this fine, delicate paper before but I was entranced with how beautifully it prints. The natural textures and fibres adds to it's special qualities and the colour gives such a rich luscious effect. 

It's definitely worth having a rummage in your drawers 

to see what papers may be lurking there!

To view my earlier print HOPE visit my earlier blog pot HERE.

"Hope", created for a previous Predator Free NZ 2050 exhibition, 

expresses new found hope for the endangered North Island kōkako

as a record number of breeding pairs were counted 

in the Hunua Ranges in 2022.

"Archey's Stand" & "Hope" by Toni Hartill

I do hope you can make it along to either 

or BOTH of the exhibitions.

I hope to share a post of each of the exhibitions 

once they are underway so 

stay tuned for updates.

My ONLINE SHOP is now OPEN 

with all listings refreshed and updated.

Visit tonihartill.felt.co.nz

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Or FOLLOW along on social media for more regular updates.

@tonihartillart

Thanks so much for 

visiting my blog!

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!