Some might call moving from Otago Peninsula to North Dunedin's student centre crazy but Sally Robilliard could not be happier.
The artist admits she was quite apprehensive about moving to the area but as she worked late nights at Columba College's hostel, driving home to Broad Bay at night was not pleasant, especially in winter.
''I really loved the Broad Bay community.''
However, she has been pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoys living in the student area, so much so she has created a series of postcards depicting aspects of student life.
''It's a fun place to live and a real mix of people live there.''
She is aware of the issues raised by some about living near students and the coverage current affairs programme Sunday provided earlier this year, on Dunedin students' binge-drinking culture.
It resulted in a student starting a petition which 2400 signed saying the segment was ''biased'' and asked for TVNZ to apologise ''for portraying students in a negative manner, and reporting on only the negative part of the student culture''.
Those issues got her thinking and she decided it was time someone added a different perspective to the conversation.
''To me, it's a useful, warm, fresh contribution about the Dunedin North community.''
Robilliard is not in the habit of writing letters to the newspaper and does not see her art as a political comment, just ''part of the conversation'' about student life.
There are so many positive aspects to that part of Dunedin, she says.
The idea for her series of postcards arose out of being a ''mother to a university student'' herself and how she enjoyed getting a postcard from her child.
The cards depict scenes of student life, almost caricatures of Dunedin student life, she says. Scenes of students doing piles of dishes, sunning themselves on roofs and on couches and showering together to save water are among the images chosen.
''I care about the community and I thought this was a fun thing to do.''
She does not want to play down the real issues around alcohol and binge drinking and the harm it causes.
''I just see a lighter side too.''
Her work will be on display at the Otago Peninsula Artists Art Fair on the last weekend of November in Macandrew Bay, and she also hopes cafes might stock the postcards.
