Vicki Cowling
I first met Vicki when she brought her art to Eyebright. Vicki is an accomplished painter who’s turned her attention to corrugated iron. Previous Vicki’s work sold at the Arts Centre in Christchurch.
I met Andy, her husband, when helping him with set up of last summer’s Mapua Art Group exhibition.
Vicki and her family including a couple of teenage children, three sheep and some chooks live in Lower Moutere on one acre. They moved there just two and half years ago, but Vicki crammed years of getting to know people into one month. She was employed to interview a cross section of the community for a project called ‘Vision Motueka’. Basically finding out what developments local people wanted to see over the next 15 years. Outgoing and energised, we couldn’t have asked for a better person to conduct these interviews.
A Cantabrian born and bred, Vicki loved Christchurch, so much so that the first earthquake shook her to the core. Eventually she came to terms with the assault. She and Andy ventured into town one weekend; enjoyed a summers day in the still lovely garden city, only to be rocked by the big one three days later. Vicki’s reaction was to flee. If it was possible to load up the car and leave that day, she would have. Everything and everyone she had was in Canterbury, but she was overwhelmed by the need to get out.
Vicki, Andy and the kids moved to Auckland and found a place in Half Moon Bay within earshot of halyards slatting against the masts of sail boats. Possibly due to the great relief of leaving behind the aftershocks, but definitely due to having a nice place along with the excitement and diversity to Auckland, it was like a long holiday for Vicki. When the time came to buying their own home, however, Nelson won out.
Andy is a fitter and turner, a pretty employable guy. He found work close to home at Knapp Engineering in Motueka. The kids go to Motueka High, and Vicki works on her art.
See her work under our veranda. Not only is quirky and appealing, but it is also durable outside
