As a child, the patterns of nature fascinated me. I would be amazed and energised by the unfolding of a fern frond. Could anything be more perfect? So these shapes were firmly imprinted and I appreciate their beauty and simplicity. They inspire me…

The koru is a strong feature in my work. Because it is derived from nature it tells my stories and it tells my ancestors’ stories. The koru form is healing and it is balance; it’s shape flows in and flows out with soft lines, often I am lost in it…

I have been painting koru within my rock designs for 13 years now and in my travels around the world I have realised that there are many cultures who use this symbol in their own art. So these koru, although derived from my connection to nature, are also universal symbols.

KOHATU – ROCK

The Māori word for rock is kohatu. But these are not just any rocks and our conceptual Māori language gives real meaning to the word. The word ‘koha’ means ‘gift’ or ‘to gift’ and the word ‘tū’ gives emphasis or importance to the gift. So for me, they are special gifts. The rocks that I paint are gathered from Taranaki, Aotearoa NZ and are volcanic. They carry the energy or mauri of the land from which they come and have their own stories as well as the stories in the designs that I place upon them.

A ROCK a DAY for my CREATIVITY

On Dec 31st 2010 I decided that I would paint a rock every day for 2011. If I did this, I would be nurturing my creativity and I would be able to share these special gifts, every day, with the world. What seemed like a simple exercise has become more than this. The rocks and their stories have been connecting me to people and places all around the world. They have been the inspiration for the sharing of more stories by those who connect with them and many of the rocks are spread all around the world. You can follow my rock a day project here

Arohanui,
Jo