NZ Life & Leisure, Issue 92 // 2020

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, I FOUND IT HERE

Here I am sitting at one of the best places to get food in Whanganui, Honest Kitchen. Karen, the owner, purchased one of the last prints in the edition of “Something beautiful, 2015” for the fit-out, and the edition is now sold out. Here’s another version I did, which I love: Something beautiful I found it here, 2018.

THE HOPE OF MY BODY

This painting first showed in my Wellington arthouse, this life unfolding in February 2020. A lovely couple who have been collecting my work for over a decade bought it. I’ve also made available a series of limited edition studioprints by photographing the original painting.

THE HEART’S ROAD HOME

In 2018, I made this very special artwork in collaboration with Julia Atkinson-Dunne from StudioHome . We talked about what really had meaning for us in our lives, we came up with the fact both of us had travelled this life so far governed by our heart. As a result of the collaboration, I made the hearts road home in a very limited edition of 5, which is now sold out. If you love this, and are gutted you can’t have one for your very own, then guess what, I do commissions. I could use this artwork as a jumping off point to make a new artwork, bespoke to you.

ALL OF MYSELF RISING

This is a one-off original painting. POA. I made it in response to Marie Kondo saying her definition of joy was all of herself rising, which I think is bang on.

IN MY WORKROOM

Here I am working at my table, doing the overdrawing in pencil I do on every single studioprint of “it’s beautiful here at the edge” that I’ve ever made. It means every print is unique, is touched by my own hand. This one’s a size large.

The words read:

It’s beautiful here / in this small room / in this small town / in this small country / at the edge / of the world.

FYI, the edition of this artwork is nearly sold out, so if you love it, I’d suggest getting in quick.

YOU ARE MY GREATEST ADVENTURE

This artwork is a commission I made for Alice and Caleb, from Pearson and Projects, who won The Block 2013. They had previously bought a number of artworks from me for various renovations they’ve been doing, and I was so delighted when Alice contacted me to see if I’d make a special piece for them for their 10th wedding anniversary.

The poem reads: every struggle / every victory / every day / you are my greatest adventure.

Alice and Caleb were clear from the outset that “you are my greatest adventure” were the words to be on the artwork because that’s how they see eachother. The other words come from their wedding vows - which they allowed me to read for inspiration. It seemed to me that being there for eachother during every struggle/victory/day is exactly what real love is all about.

It was such a pleasure to work with A&C to make this very special painting, and an honour to work for such lovely people.

If you’re interested in a commission of your own, hit me up.

THE RAIN COMES DOWN

Another limited edition studioprint I was working on for a client the day the photographer came.

I made this artwork to remind myself that no matter how tough the day, or how heavy my heart feels, the stars will comes up and the sun really will rise.

The poem reads: the rain / comes down /the stars come up / the sun / rises / in the morning

The print I’m holding is a medium size of the rain comes down 2019. This print is special edition one - I created it especially for a woman who gave it to her husband for his 50th birthday. She asked me to add the words “will always”, so that the poem read “the sun will always rise” because that was a phrase her husband often used. I really enjoy collaborating with someone to create a bespoke print - as long as the words resonate and have meaning for me, which these words certainly did.

IN MY HAPPY PLACE

In all weathers, I eat my breakfast out here, read here, watch the world go by here. I bought the hanging chair from IcoTraders because it looked so darn good but when I got it the experience of sitting in it was really exceptional. I’m not getting paid to write this, LOL. I’m raving because in the months I’ve had this chair, sitting in it has helped relax me so much, gotten me through some major stress, and helped me slow down during crazy-busy workdays.

FOR THIS EVERYDAY LOVING

First shown at the this life unfolding arthouse in Wellington in February, this large scale painting has a special place in my heart. It’s shown here hanging in my bedroom.

The poem reads: for/ this/ every day/ loving / for this joy / and pleasure / and pain / I give thanks.

This is a painting which is delicate in nature, despite its scale. The calm light colours are a new direction for me. See it here in a different light.

A SALON HANG IN MY LOUNGE

So much art on the walls, I treat my living room as a laboratory, putting up artwork on the walls to see how they fly, how they sit with eachother, whether they’ll go in my next installation...

From left to right:

We are lovely [half seen, left hand side]

FYI no cash [half seen, top, under my thumb]

Beautiful shadows

The rain comes down

I don’t mind these tears

We share the same sky [top, just seen - one of my best artworks from 2019, and most def worth a clickthrough :-) ]

LOVE POEM

When Tracey came to make the photographs I was in the middle of making this painting, Love Poem. I absolutely love making marks in paint.

This artwork’s got the same words as the hope of my body but I call it love poem because this iteration of the words is more tender. Gentler. I made it thinking of my partner and our love.

For literally thirty years I’ve had a James K Baxter poem from Pig Island Letters above my workdesk. Part of the poem is “the hope of the body was coherent love”. I’ve spent three decades trying to understand exactly what Baxter meant by those words, all the while very much wishing I could have that kind of love for my own - a love my body could understand. Last year I finally understood, I finally found a love like that. This is the poem I wrote both in response to Baxter, and to the love between my partner and I.

This is a very personal painting, large in scale. Been seen in real life to really appreciate the subtle marks and details.

My dear caravan, BUZ, in my private space. I love working in here. Very people have been allowed in. Now I guess you all get to see…

Clothes and boots models own. LOL.

FW + BUZ 4 EVA

ME AND SETH BY THE RIVER

I love this photograph of me and my dear old guy. He has now passed away, and I treasure this photograph of us walking happy in the sunshine.

One of Fleur's images from a fashion shoot for Wellington designer Nicola Screen.  

In the living room a fibre-optic light by Lothair Hayman contrasts with a brocade daybed reminiscent of another era.

"Fleur Wickes describes herself as "quite a romantic."  You can see it in her work - she is an award-winning photographer specialising in portraits (and naturally) weddings.  And you can see it in her house.

Mementoes adorn Fleur's lightshade.  The chandelier over the dining table is an op shop find.  The bench unit came from an Island Bay church where it was used to store vestments.

Fleur checks out her latest shots of Rosie, a favourite subject, while Jasper draws on the wall-sized blackboard.  Rosie-dog is installed under the stairs.

A new glass top was all that was needed to transform this display unit, once full of ribbons and hat-making pararphernalia, into pantry storage.

Fleur at work on Lyall Bay beach which is overlooked by her garden. 

Paul Craig, who framed the large image in the dining room, has worked with Fleur for nearly thirteen years.

Years of op-shopping mean there is no shortage of containers in this house - on the dining table a silver cruet set doubles as a vase.