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!

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!