Interviews with Creatives of the Bay!
Ariki Brightwell - Audio Interview
Ariki from Ariki Arts (Facebook & Instagram) is the beautiful young artist who created the mural we all see on the front of the Nautilus Creative building on Happy Valley Road. In the enthralling audio interview below, Ariki talks about:
- Everything involved in getting this project off the ground
- How everything in the mural is telling an exact story
- Why Ōwhiro Bay is a scared and integral place for Ariki to create her art
- How her Maori heritage and tribe influences her creativity
- Coming from a well-known, supportive and significant family of artists stretching back through the generations.
Ariki (Te Whānau-a-Ruataupere, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Mutunga, Rangitāne, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Arawa ki Tūwharetoa, Tahiti, Ra’iātea, Rarotonga) was born in 1989 in Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) and lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington).
She graduated from Massey University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Video Communications Design and works at Nautilus Creative as a newly full-time artist.
She graduated from Massey University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Video Communications Design and works at Nautilus Creative as a newly full-time artist.
Photos of Ariki's Mural on the Front of the Nautilus Building
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Mary Laine - Audio Interview
Mary (website & Etsy page) was the founder and director of LUX Light Festival from its inception in 2012. She has been with Nautilus Creative for almost 14 years where she is on the board and leadership team.
Mary is a thriving and successful artist who sells her work all over the world. In the audio interview with Justin below, Mary shares:
Mary is a thriving and successful artist who sells her work all over the world. In the audio interview with Justin below, Mary shares:
- Her exciting journey from being a San Francisco-based artist to being an integral part of the Nautilus leadership team
- Why for her Ōwhiro Bay is such a vital and inspirational part of the art she creates
- Why Nautilus is a unique and successful blueprint for how suburban artistic communities can form and flourish
- And of course her own gorgeous art and artistic style and process (you'll want to hear the wonderful story of the ceramic marionettes she created for 5 female MP's!).
Because of a technical glitch during the interview, it is presented in 2 parts below. You'll love both parts!
Photos from Mary's Studio at Nautilus
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Nick Spicer Balme - Audio Interview
Nick, with his partner Maddy Gourdin run Kawakawa Stone out of Nautilus Creative. In the audio interview below, Justin talks with Nick about:
- His work with pounamu/greenstone and it's spiritual, historical and geological significance
- His repeated travels through China and Russia competing in Jade artistic competitions and meeting greenstone artists from all over the world
- How Covid 19 has affected the supply/demand of his pounamu sales in the NZ tourism wholesale market and how he has diversified in his work to meet that challenge.
Photos of Nick's Pounamu Carvings
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Kelda Morris - Audio Interview
Kelda Morris is a gifted glass caster and blower. She runs her business Dirt Child Design out of Nautilus Creative Space in Ōwhiro Bay. This year, she returned from Australia where she spent 5 years studying her craft.
You can explore (and buy!) Kelda's BEAUTIFUL work (did I mention beautiful? - Justin) from her Dirt Child Design website and also check out her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Justin Meade interviewed Kelda about her passion for glass casting and blowing, the international award she won last year and also the classes she has been running for students out of Nautilus in 2020. You can listen to that fascinating interview below.
Support Ōwhiro Bay artists!
You can explore (and buy!) Kelda's BEAUTIFUL work (did I mention beautiful? - Justin) from her Dirt Child Design website and also check out her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Justin Meade interviewed Kelda about her passion for glass casting and blowing, the international award she won last year and also the classes she has been running for students out of Nautilus in 2020. You can listen to that fascinating interview below.
Support Ōwhiro Bay artists!
Photos from Kelda's Studio at Nautilus
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Lynsey Sutton - Audio Interview
Lynsey is an Intensive care Clinical Nurse Specialist working at Wellington Regional Hospital. She lives near the beach on Happy Valley Road with her partner Rich, 9 year-old son Elliot and gorgeous English bulldog Molly.
Lynsey also just happens to be a fabulous photographer. You can see a whole page of Lynsey's Ōwhiro Bay landscape photography on this website. Be sure to also visit Lynsey's website.
Justin Meade interviewed Lynsey about her love of Ōwhiro Bay, her passion for landscape photography and what inspires her art. It's a wonderful little interview you can listen to below.
Lynsey also just happens to be a fabulous photographer. You can see a whole page of Lynsey's Ōwhiro Bay landscape photography on this website. Be sure to also visit Lynsey's website.
Justin Meade interviewed Lynsey about her love of Ōwhiro Bay, her passion for landscape photography and what inspires her art. It's a wonderful little interview you can listen to below.
James Costin - Audio Interview
James is a local musician and audio engineer who works (constantly!) out of his studio at Nautilus Creative Space on Happy Valley Road.
He has his own website - Serpent Dream where he has uploaded his gorgeous music for us to hear and buy.
James' work focuses on the unspoken narrative and experience of the environment and imagination. Using sound, music, and atmosphere he explores the connection between the inner and outer world, the everyday to the spiritual, and ethereal part of the human condition.
Justin Meade interviewed James in his Nautilus studio. It's a fascinating interview where James talks about his work as both a musician and working sound engineer. We learn about his creative process, collaborations and get to hear some of the lush tunes he's working on for his upcoming album
Listen to the interview below and check Serpent Dream to hear and purchase James' music.
Support local artists!
He has his own website - Serpent Dream where he has uploaded his gorgeous music for us to hear and buy.
James' work focuses on the unspoken narrative and experience of the environment and imagination. Using sound, music, and atmosphere he explores the connection between the inner and outer world, the everyday to the spiritual, and ethereal part of the human condition.
Justin Meade interviewed James in his Nautilus studio. It's a fascinating interview where James talks about his work as both a musician and working sound engineer. We learn about his creative process, collaborations and get to hear some of the lush tunes he's working on for his upcoming album
Listen to the interview below and check Serpent Dream to hear and purchase James' music.
Support local artists!
James in his studio at Nautilus
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Artists lounge at Nautilus
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Anoushka Guillot - OBRA Logo Creator!
Hi, my name is Anoushka Guillot. I'm and a student studying Art and Design at Massey University. This is my last year of study!
I have lived in Ōwhiro Bay for 3 1/2 years. I moved up here from Arrowtown about 4 years ago to study art and design.
Ōwhiro Bay is an amazing place to live and has such great people and beautiful scenic views. It's always such a treat to come home after a busy day in the city.
I would say I'm a bit of mixed creative; I love doing anything hands-on. Things like painting animals or seascapes, creating designs like logos, games and posters, as well as doing some illustrations.
What inspires me the most is probably my family - they're all super creative and have had great success in all their careers. They're also very supportive and keen to help and give advice when is needed.
(Thanks so much for creating a perfect logo for us Anoushka - you've really captured Ōwhiro Bay with your design! - Justin)
