Potter Robin Judd and watercolourist Fergus Sutherland are exhibiting their works together in "Make Time," a show that beautifully blends pottery and painting in a striking visual dialogue.
Mrs Judd’s first-ever exhibition features 16 to 20 pieces of her handmade, glazed pottery.
A hobby potter for 40 years, she began at night school in Masterton and has been able to devote more time to her craft since moving to Papatowai two years ago with her husband, Walter, after decades of dairy farming in Hunterville.
Walter, a woodworker, even built Robin’s studio, which is nestled among the natural beauty that inspires much of her work.
"I used to play with clay from fencepost holes my dad dug," Mrs Judd said.
"It’s creative — something from nothing. When you fire clay, you never know what you’re going to get. It’s empowering when it turns out well, and sometimes better than you hoped."
The element of surprise and transformation is a theme shared by Mr Sutherland, a seasoned painter with decades of experience and a deep love for the Catlins landscape.
Originally from Waiwera South, he has owned land in Papatowai since 1960 and has long been a fixture in the local conservation and eco-tourism community.
His 30 watercolours in the show were all completed in the past two years.
Mr Sutherland invited Mrs Judd to join him in the exhibition after visiting her studio shortly after it opened.
"What I saw was classy," Mr Sutherland said.
"[Friend and past collaborator] Mike McPhee and I were talking about an exhibition about three months ago and I thought of asking her to join."
"Fergus asked me to exhibit with him and I was flattered — and a little nervous," Mrs Judd said.
"But I trusted his eye, and his confidence helped mine grow."
What makes this exhibition particularly compelling is the uncanny harmony between their works.
Visitors have noted how the layers of colour and textures in Mrs Judd’s pottery echo the multiple horizons in Sutherland’s watercolours, creating a cohesive aesthetic experience.
As she put it: "Sometimes the glaze and the watercolours blend in similar ways. It’s a journey."
Mr Sutherland, who is also experimenting with a wax-sealing technique for his watercolours — an ancient Roman method — said the exhibition’s title, "Make Time", was about "slowing down to appreciate what we have here in the Papatowai and Catlins district".
The exhibition runs until June 28.
Many works are for sale and both artists have already seen early success.
