Eri Lovegrove in front of her drawings for a university project. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED The Otago Peninsula has always featured in the life of Eri Lovegrove and now she will have the drawings to prove it. Little Shag. A final year communication design student at Victoria University in Wellington, Miss Lovegrove completed her final project with 26 drawings, titled: "Birds of the Otago Peninsula: An Illustrated A-Z". Originally from Dunedin, having attended Columba College, the 20-year-old spent her high school years on the peninsula, and its impact never left her. "This project is particularly close to my heart. The thing that I love about the peninsula is it’s a fantastic place for all sorts of creatures," she said. There were always birds around of all shapes and sizes on the peninsula which caught her attention. Barred Godwit. "As a past resident of the peninsula, I wanted to give back to the location and its wildlife through the skills I have developed over the past few years studying illustration and design. This project is a simple dedication to some of my favourite local species, and a way of sharing my appreciation with others." Her favourite birds on the peninsula were the white-fronted tern and the Otago shag, saying they were both quite elegant. She had been a drawer for a long time and said it was quite an intense process, getting the drawings to what she wanted. White Heron. "There were a few all-nighters. It took over my entire life." Her parents — dad Luke Lovegrove and mum Rie Ushiki — were artists so it was in the blood. Miss Lovegrove had self-bound 20 copies of the drawings into an A5 booklet, some of which have been sold. She was yet to receive a mark for the project. Next year she may have a gap year before perhaps heading back to the capital to study for a master’s degree in 2027.
