The teapot marks the spot

By VICTORIA BARTLE

Thanks to a teapot, finding artist Josie Martin's workshops is easy, even for newcomers to Akaroa.

Though her home, Linton House, is a well-known landmark to Banks Peninsula locals, out-of-towners get their first taste of Martin's creative bent as soon as they see the letterbox.

It's not big but it's colourful, and it ensures that Linton-bound visitors never miss the driveway. And there's a brightly coloured teapot sitting on top of it.

Twice a year, Martin turns her historic home in the seaside town of Akaroa into a studio for a five-day art workshop.

Akaroa is a tourism drawcard for the peninsula and plenty of Cantabrians have memories of the drive over the hill from Christchurch for their family holidays.

The locals have heard all the superlatives from the tourists, ranging from "adorable", "pretty", and "gorgeous" to "quaint", "picturesque', and "magical".

The township was settled by the French in the 1800s, a heritage that is still evident in the French street names and the charming, historic cottages and shops, with their multi-paned windows and almost toy-town appearance, set along the shoreline of a hill-enclosed harbour.

When the sea is at its most tranquil and glass-like, it's easy to imagine how an aspiring artist might feel relaxed and inspired here. The town must rank highly in the "perfect setting" stakes for those who want to spend their annual leave standing at an easel and daubing some paint about.

Martin says the "really special thing" about her workshops is that they are held in someone's home.

"It's not a sterile environment like a classroom. The place is an art environment and already has an atmosphere. It has a comfortable and relaxed feel about it."

And she is right. Sitting on a sun-drenched veranda drinking tea with a woman with blue hair is surprisingly comfortable.

We're not talking the suburban blue-rinse kind of hair. Martin's is bright, like disco blue or nail-polish blue - a shade of blue most women would consider for a dress, not their hair.

But spend a couple of hours talking to Martin and it's clear she's not crazy - not even a bit odd. It's more like spending an afternoon with a refreshingly quirky, artistic cousin.

"I'd wanted blue hair for years," says the 50-something-year-old. "It's a bit mad but the strange thing is it feels normal for me. Besides, you have more fun with blue hair."

The hair, it turns out, is just one of many strands of fun that run through what could be an imposing historic home.

The original enormous staircase, imported from France when the house was built in 1880 for Akaroa's first bank manager, still stands proud in the foyer of Linton House.

But Martin has deliberately avoided "doing the museumy thing" of filling the house with antiques.

"I don't like living in the past and I'm passionate about contemporary things, plus I think the historic can enhance the contemporary, and vice-versa."

The house's exterior window-frames are painted in warm, strong colours, and bright paintings cover the walls inside.

Her sculptures in vivid reds, yellows, blues and bright white fill the garden with surprises at every turn, and a terraced garden area is reached by walking a stepped pathway, ornately decorated with mosaics.

The gardens regularly attractindividual visitors and tour groups.

A stunning collection of larger-than-life "people" greets visitors as they reach the top of the steep driveway.

Called "Place des amies", they are shaped out of concrete and covered in mosaics, making a large and amusing display. They are the result of hundreds of hours of work by Martin, often until nightfall.

As a bed-and-breakfast business, Linton is roomy enough to provide accommodation for some students at $80 a room a night during the art workshop.

For other students, Martin rents a couple of houses in Akaroa and charges $35 a night.

The workshops are limited to 18 students and are held in autumn and spring (the next one begins on October 7). They usually attract more women than men, aged anywhere from 18 to 80. Participants come mainly from New Zealand and Australia, but last year a Swiss woman attended.



The workshops are held from 9am to 4pm and begin with two mornings of drawing before moving on to painting.

Martin employs a professional life model to pose nude, and students are challenged to sketch the model in various poses, sometimes having just 15 minutes before moving on to the next pose.

They also have chances to draw or paint other objects or whatever inspires them, whether it is a corner of the room, the scenery or something in the garden.

"I really teach ways of seeing that are not the superficial ways of looking at things," says Martin. "I encourage my students to express their own individuality and to take risks.

"Another tutor once said to me, 'Paint with your heart, control it with your mind and let yourself become part of it. That's what makes your work unique."'

When teaching, Martin emphasises the basic elements of form, tone, line, texture, colour and composition, along with the creative process "and the importance of serious play", she says.

For the workshop fee of $475 a person for the five days, students are treated to lunches that Martin describes as "edible art in itself".

Caterers from the Gables Country House, a restaurant in nearby Wainui, arrive at Linton each morning with the day's lunch.

Their fare has a distinct Italian flavour, and it's simple, tasty and nourishing, says Martin. "It's really important to have great food because you do get very hungry when you are creating."

Students gather around the table in Linton's large bright-yellow kitchen or sit outside on the veranda when the weather is fine. And in the middle of the course, students unwind and share an evening pot-luck dinner.

By the end of the five days, students leave with not just their own artworks, but usually with new friends, and many return to attend another workshop.

When the demand for placings exceeds the 18-person limit, Martin will run a second workshop the following week.

Her winters are often spent in Italy or America, where she takes time to paint for herself at workshops.

Martin has exhibited in 24 solo shows and numerous group exhibitions.

With her two favourite caterers, she is taking her workshop "off shore" for a winter away from home next July.

New Zealanders can join the special, month-long workshop, to be held in an 11th-century abbey in Tuscany, Italy.

* Contact Josie Martin at Linton, ph (03) 304 7501.

Linton at Akaroa