"THE AITUTAKI MINUTE"
How the stunning lagoon inspired a British artist
How the stunning lagoon inspired a British artist
Mary Rogers is a part time gardener and an emerging British artist whose paintings are inspired by the natural world, particularly the horizon. So it's no surprise that while her sound recordist husband, Gary was working on the UK reality tv show 'Shipwrecked' on Aitutaki, she was moved to pick up her sketchbook.
" Aitutaki is simply a little blip in the Pacific Ocean so the seas and weather conditions are constantly changing. The sun slices through the clouds revealing a magnificent colour beneath." Mary Rogers
Mary has been painting since 1995. While in Aitutaki, she made 190 sketches of the stunning lagoon which have now become a series of works called 'Sky and Everlasting Sea'. Each is in oil on canvas. And they're currently on show in her home county of Lincolnshire under the title "A minute in Aitutaki: the constantly changing seas". She has kindly allowed me to share some of them with you.
Mary in front of her works, and (below left) with husband Gary
Photos: Scunthorpe Telegraph (thisisscunthorpe.co.uk)
Photos: Scunthorpe Telegraph (thisisscunthorpe.co.uk)
You can find out more about Mary, her exhibitions and how to buy her paintings at her own website. (Please do not reproduce these pictures anywhere without Mary's permission.)
"Because of the inconsistency of the weather, the seas change constantly. You have a minute to get it down onto paper before it changes before your eyes and has gone"
"The moving clouds simultaneously illuminate the sea and reflect the sky. The sun slicing through the clouds reveals what's beneath the sea in colour: pink of coral, greens of weed and ochre of sand. While the clouds cast purples and the clear blue sky reflects on the surface as turquoise, the encroaching skies of storms reflect onto the sea as whitened mauve and Prussian blue with a multitude of intervening blues."
IN MARY'S OWN WORDS...
POINTERS TO PARADISE:
AITUTAKI PHOTO ALBUM RAROTONGA SITE MAP HOME SURPRISE ME!
OR FIND YOUR OWN PIECE OF PARADISE USING THE MENU ON THE LEFT
AITUTAKI PHOTO ALBUM RAROTONGA SITE MAP HOME SURPRISE ME!
OR FIND YOUR OWN PIECE OF PARADISE USING THE MENU ON THE LEFT
Aitutaki is the nearest neighbour to the capital island of Rarotonga. It was discovered 220 years ago by Captain Bligh just days before the mutiny on the Bounty - he called it "a charming little spot"!. And its stunning beauty has remained unchanged across the centuries.
