Into the Light: Gisborne artist’s tree-inspired exhibition at Matawhero Wines

A new exhibition Into the Light by Gisborne artist Karina McGregor opens to an invited audience tonight at Matawhero Art Gallery at Matawhero Wines. It opens to the public tomorrow. Photo / Kim Parkinson

Experimental techniques create the evocative bark texture of the paintings of Gisborne-based New Zealand artist Karina McGregor’s new Into the Light exhibition.

The works reflect her love of colour and the feeling of being under a tree canopy.

“I want the paintings to resonate, I want people to get that sensation of bark when you feel a tree,“ she says.

McGregor admits feeling “nervous and excited” ahead of tonight’s invitation-only opening at Matawhero Art Gallery.

The exhibition includes large oil and wax paintings on wood as well as landscapes and smaller screen-printed works.

Using harmonious colour palettes, McGregor begins each work by building the texture.

“My paintings convey a feeling - I use light, dark and shade and paint intuitively,” she says.

One painting can take 12 weeks, as she has to allow each layer to dry.

She often has several works on the go at one time and has to be organised with her time to make the daylight hours productive.

She uses the Instagram name @talkingtreestudio for her work. Her paintings have a bark-like texture, which she achieves by cutting into the layers using various techniques she has created through experimentation.

She uses oil paint to capture moments of calm, which she finds in the presence of trees. Inspiration is found at Eastwoodhill Arboretum, about half an hour’s drive from central Gisborne.

“I’m a regular visitor and so lucky to have this inspiring environment close by.”

She and her family moved to Gisborne from Auckland four years ago. They wanted a “lifestyle change” and a break from “busy city life”.

“I enjoy the simpler pace of life here. After more than 20 years running our interiors business in Auckland, we were ready for a change.

“Gisborne offers a great lifestyle – close to nature, easy to get around and a wonderful place for our kids to thrive.

'Honey', created with oil and wax on board, is part of Karina McGregor's Into the Light exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery. Photo / Kim Parkinson

“I have a family of passionate surfers and they can enjoy the waves every day, while it’s also given me time to reconnect with my creativity.”

She has exhibited at the Auckland Art Show and Wellington Art Show in the past and was part of the collaborative exhibition Spectrum last October, when she joined nine other Gisborne-based artists for a week-long exhibition at the old barn at TW Wines in Ormond.

Into the Light, McGregor’s first solo exhibition, opens to the public tomorrow at Matawhero Art Gallery at the cellar door of Matawhero Wines. It runs until February 9.