Studio Insights - April 2026
CREATE: What I’ve created/done & what I’m working on.
INSPIRE: What art has inspired me.
LEARN: What I’m learning to develop my practice.
PLAN: What I’m planning next.
“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.”
This month was a mix of time in front of the camera and behind it, appreciating views. I spent my time outside the studio soaking up the last of the Autumn warmth before we descend into the dark depths of winter. It was a strange one, with one of the worst storms in many years hitting Wellington and causing widespread flooding across the city. And yet my gallery is filled with beautiful, sunny days and amazing views. There’s a good reason Welly is known for having four seasons in one day…
Table of Contents:
CREATE: Studio Interview & Appreciating Views
INSPIRE: Expressions in Clay
LEARN: Past Projects
PLAN: NZ Games Festival
CREATE: Studio Interview & Appreciating Views
I found myself in a position that I never thought would feel familiar - sitting in my studio, interviewing for another documentary. Just to be clear, I still hate being in front of the camera. But I guess the world just really needs to hear my story? This was an interesting one, because it was somewhat impromptu. I knew it was coming, but not exactly when, and the questions weren't pre-prepared. Compared to my previous interview, which was meticulously planned, I'm curious to see if this will produce a more natural result in how I answered.
With a bit more flexibility and time at home, I jumped on any and all opportunities to catch some sun and get great photos. The moon was especially beautiful this month - something I’d never stopped to appreciate too much before. I’ve painted a lot of sunsets and sunrises, but never a moonrise. I’ll have to try it someday…
INSPIRE: Expressions in Clay
This was a group exhibition of pottery by members of the Woolshed Potters community, hosted at Pataka Museum. I’d actually surprisingly never visited Pataka before, so the whole place was a fun new experience for me. I was really impressed by the detail in some of the pieces in this exhibition, especially the incredible chessboard with unique hand-crafted pieces. I don’t even know how to play chess, and I really wanted it in my home regardless!
LEARN: Past Projects
While working on my portfolio for job hunting, I’ve been sifting through all my past projects and work done for different design jobs over the years. It’s been quite a fun and surprising experience - there’s a lot of stuff hidden away that I completely forgot I had even worked on. Some of the work, especially stuff from uni, is quite dated and not up to my quality anymore. But even that far back, there are some real gems. I’m realising my old uni work, which I had initially disregarded, is actually much more valuable than I thought. We were encouraged to try a wide range of techniques and outputs, which I’m quite thankful for. As such, with the vast majority of jobs, I have at least something I can point to which says, “I’ve tried that”. Sure, I don’t remember how to code an adjustable website from scratch… but having done it before, I’m confident I would pick up the skills so much faster!
What I’m trying to say (and remind myself of) is not to discount experience just because it’s old, basic or not from the industry. Even playing around with a new program or technique at home may be relevant. This is also my reminder to try some new things while I have the time, and not worry about the context.
PLAN: NZ Games Festival
In May, I’m volunteering for the NZ Games Festival hosted in Wellington, which includes a range of events and talks all about games. The main event is the Play by Play conference, which I’m excited to attend for the first time!