Coromandel Life Spring/Holiday 2014

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Our Cover Artist
Ginney Deavoll
“Stony Bay is an incredibly picturesque bay that not
too many people venture to. It holds a special place in
my memory as it was from here that Tyrell and I left to
attempt our first open water crossing by kayak. We
paddled from Stony Bay to Tryphena Harbour on Great
Barrier Island but not without incident.
“Half way across Tyrell noticed a plume of water in the
distance. It was gone before I caught a glimpse so I didn’t think much of it. That
was, not until it appeared again, right between our kayaks, erupting from the
back of a Bryde’s Whale.” - Ginney Deavoll
I met Ginney and partner Tyrell during the Mercury Bay Art Escape and was impressed
with both her and her work. When I looked around their small flat I asked where she
painted. “On the floor”, she answered. Wow – she really does.
Ginney has lived a lot in her
short life which is reflected in the
essence of life she portays in
her art. When we discovered the
painting of Stony Bay and heard
the story behind it, we knew it
was perfect – reflecting her bold
originality as well as the locale of
our Road Trip in this issue.
The trip she shares above is one
of many. Ginney and Tyrell also
did an extensive kayak, hiking and
biking trip on South Island, which Ginney relates through photos, art and writing in a
coffee table art book “the long way” (see next page).
“Since deciding to seriously follow a life of painting I have had incredible support
from the Coromandel arts community,” shares a grateful Ginney. Her originals and
a range of prints are in Bread and Butter Gallery in Whitianga and a selection of
prints in Moko or Hot Waves Café. See her at the Mercury Bay Art Escape tour, at
ginneydeavoll.com and on her Facebook page.
Milly’s on Main 078647464
236 Main Road in Tairua
KAYLA 078689063
522 Pollen Street in Thames
7
Having an awareness of the natural
world has always been important to
me. As a teenager I would stand at the
beach admiring the changeability of the
colours, the shapes in the waves and
clouds and the feeling of depth as I gazed
out at the horizon. I spent much of my
teenage years trying to capture this in
watercolours, later in murals around the
city and acrylics on canvas.
It’s only recently that I’ve found my
Turangawaewae, my place to stand. The
place that gives me more energy than I
put in. Looking back, it’s blaringly obvious
that this is where my journey would lead
me. From an early age I knew that I would
be an artist. I also knew that I felt at home
in the outdoors and that the thought of
adventure made me shiver with excitement
and anticipation.
And so after school, my world was filled
with adventure and travel. I spent years
overseas exploring the world, working
in strange jobs in obscure locations. My
painting took a back seat, but was never
forgotten. I found that nowhere – not even
Rome, the French Alps or the Whitsundays
– inspired me to paint in the way that New
Zealand does.
Seeing something of the world has given
me a greater understanding of how lucky
we are to be of this land. Once I returned
to NZ, I moved to Hahei to work as a
sea kayak guide. Here, I picked up a
paintbrush again and began a journey that
would realise my dream.
At first, I mostly painted landscape from
life but soon started to illustrate the stories
of the area through my artwork. The
design element in these paintings caused
my artwork to take on a different look. This
style was developing well but took a huge
leap forward after an incredible trip with
my partner Tyrell: sea kayak journey up
the coast of the Coromandel, out to Great
Barrier Island, then up the East Coast of
Northland to Houhora.
The duration of the journey was five
weeks, and by the end I was brimming
with inspiration.
My intention was to share the places we’d
seen, like Stony Bay. Places that take your
breath away – to capture the moments
that were funny, scary or beautiful –
memorable moments that shaped our
experience. I wanted to pass on the
feeling of elation from seeing a whale
cruise by under my kayak and the pleasure
of watching every sunrise and sunset and
admiring the Milky Way each night. Most
of all I wanted to share the simplicity of
enjoying life one day at a time, feeling
completely content.
This series about our adventure was
my first exhibition and a total success
but more importantly I had found my
Turangawaewae and what it was that
I wanted to do with my painting. I had
discovered how to combine my passion
for painting with my journeys in the
outdoors and make them my world.
Since then I’ve been on more journeys
into the wild and extreme places of New
Zealand and the need to share those
experiences through my artwork is
stronger than ever. - Ginney Deavoll