This piece, like most other braided river pieces I produce is inspiration by the Waitaki River, and other braided rivers in the South Island. These dynamic rivers dominate the plains, carving their way from their headwaters in the Southern Alps out to the coast, stretching hundreds of kilometres and transporting millions of cubic metres of sediment every year; they are transient systems, forever moving, cutting new pathways to their destination.

These fluvial systems are integral to our communities and environment, providing a vital lifeline to peoples’ livelihoods. They form a key part of the identity of the South Island and those who inhabit it. Rivers are forever changing through space and time; as such, each of these artwork pieces is handmade and thus is unique.

The blue is resin, pored into the piece constructed from multiple layers of MDF which are drybrushed in various shades of grey. The resin is tinted blue, and so the change in colour is a product of the resins depth.

This piece is the first time I have incorporated a green element into the trees that line the bank of the river, created by texturing acrylic paint over MDF and drybrusging it!

This piece is available to view at the Art Shop Gallery in Christchurch.