“It’s provided time, space and money to do my art, which is what all artists want,” she said.
She had not done any “drastically new” work during the residency but had taken the time to fuel her creativity and hone her skills.
Ceramic art is Hunter’s part-time job as she takes commissions painting people’s animals on ceramic bases such as mugs or plates.
“It’s been nice not having to do commissions,” she said.
“I paint people’s pets on things, which I love doing, but it’s cool to just have creative freedom.”
She draws inspiration from multiple places including, recently, meditation and medieval art.
“I’ve been looking at medieval woodcuts and getting a lot of inspiration from them,” Hunter said.
A collection of women with detached faces and heads, Hunter said, drew from the meditation concept of looking for yourself, but not being able to find it.
Hunter, who was usually based in Dunedin and had not travelled to Whanganui before the residency, said she had enjoyed walking her dog by the river, meeting new people and the music scene.
“It’s amazing, I love it,” she said.
“It’s very arty and friendly, and the art here is great.
“Having the Quartz Museum there is just amazing because it’s full of breathtaking work.”
As the residency comes to an end, Hunter knows that her learning process will not stop any time soon.
“I don’t know that it’s particular with pottery, in the art world, but you just want to keep going and get better and better because there’s a bottomless pit of stuff to learn,” she said.
Hunter‘s exhibition, A Way Through, will open at A-Gallery on Friday, August 1, at 5.30pm and will be on show until September 21.
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
