Howick Art Group is putting on display more than 100 pieces of work by about 50 members, representing a cross-section of medium and subjects.
Mary Maxwell, who has been involved with the group for 16 years, is exhibiting at the annual event.
She paints across several mediums, including oils, pastels, watercolour and acrylics, and the pieces she is entering are in the mixed-medium category.
Mrs Maxwell says that when painting with oils she prefers seascapes, reflections and skies, while her pastel creations are usually of animal subjects and portraits.
“My watercolours and pastels are normally street scenes,” she says. “I like painting local beach scenes and city scenes in Auckland.
“I like Auckland city because of the people and it’s so busy.”
She prefers to take photos of scenes she wants to paint, and then retreat to her own private space, “if you can call a corner of the garage a studio,” she jokes.
The beach at Mellons Bay has fallen under her brush more than once and “it has a nice reflection of a tree on the water”. She has also recreated Mission Bay and Hunua.
Several of her works hang on the walls of her Burswood home and one of her favourites is called Poppies. A portrayal of a collection of the delicate flowers, it features flashes of colour, especially her favourite red.
“My oil paintings are quite bright and I can’t get enough red in my work. I always get red in there somewhere – it’s eye-catching.”
Howick Art Group’s midwinter exhibition runs at Howick Library’s Fencible Lounge, Uxbridge Road, from July 23-25 from 9am-4pm.
The opening night is Thursday, July 22, at 7pm. Entry is free and all artworks are for sale.
