Penny Otto

“Landfall”

Near my artist friend Marion’s home are banks where shorebirds like to rest. On occasions when the tide is high (and we are both free, usually early mornings) we take our sketching materials out on to the Manukau Harbour shore.  

Manukau Harbour. Photo by Marion

Manukau Harbour. Photo by Marion

To begin with I concentrate on the preening antics of the wonderfully numerous black oystercatchers. Then the waders fishing among the rocks catch my eye. By working fast and using the ‘blind drawing technique’ (of keeping my eyes fixed on my subjects while drawing) I get very amusing results.

“Preening Seabirds”

The ‘blind drawings’ are then gleefully reconstructed on 300gsm damp paper taking full advantage of the freedom of choice that mixed media allows me.

“Resting Seabirds”

“Birds Landing”

“Manukau Shore Birds”

Marion often chooses to concentrate on the everchanging atmospheric landscape her coastal home offers. On one wonderful day Marion’s husband Rod took us to the nearby Āwhitu Regional  Park. Surprisingly the howling wind did not prevent us from carrying out more sketches. 

“Rod’s Place & The Place of the Black Oyster Catchers.”

On that unforgettable wild day in Āwhitu Regional  Park which is part of  the Manukau Harbour I also worked over an old lithograph to paint two black oyster catchers against an island backdrop. Now when I look at it again, to my surprise, there is a taniwha behind them!

“Black Oyster Catcher Country”