My Perfect Weekend: Artist Polly Cleverley shares her creative escape

Artist Polly Cleverley describes her perfect Whanganui weekend. Photo / Supplied

Every week, we ask someone what their perfect weekend in the Whanganui region would be. This week, we speak to artist and painter Polly Cleverley whose work and ARTSO studio is on show for the Artists Open Studios on April 1-2.

My ideal weekend would start on a Saturday with a trip to Mischief cafe for a morning coffee which I would have with my crossword.

In the morning, the light streams into my upstairs gallery studio and it’s bathed in sun and very spacious. I’ll turn on my Spotify playlists and have my music blasting and then away we go. I’ve spent years putting together my ideal painting playlists, I listen to alternative rhythm and blues with melodic overtones; it inspires my creative energy. I do sculpting and painting in the ARTSO gallery above my shop Wolves in Chic Clothing.

I will paint until I can’t paint any more, just because I’m so committed to my art - it’s my whole life.

I return home to my outdoor bath which is situated so that the table beside it can take wine and hors d’oeuvre in the last of the evening warmth with the setting sun able to be seen from the bath. I soak all the paint stains off my body in this beautiful outdoor setting.

Sunday is my best painting day and my favourite day because it can go uninterrupted. My Sunday would probably involve going to the wonderful Rutland Arms Inn for their delicious fish and chips and a beer around 1pm. It’s nice and close so I can just wander out and go there for lunch. Then I will return to my studio and carry on into the afternoon, painting.

I’m terribly enmeshed in the artist lifestyle and I feel old enough to indulge in my art.

I make choices that are all about filling the day up with painting and, hopefully, painting successfully. It doesn’t feel like working. I’ve never been so content in my life. It may be very simplistic but it is deep and very meaningful to me.