The Top of the Track (Birds on Swings I)
Acrylic on board • Copper detail • Shadow box frame • 400 × 600 mm (plus frame)

At the top of the farm track here at Cairnsmore, there’s a place where I always pause, just long enough to breathe in the cool bush air, take in the sweeping view, and listen for the birds hidden among the leaves. This painting is inspired by that moment of stillness.

A bold, characterful Tūī perches on a suspended swing, a nod to the memory of a day I walked down the track when the kōwhai were in full bloom. The Tūī gathered in joyful chaos, singing, chattering, squabbling, and feasting on nectar as I made my way home.

My favourite ritual, afternoon tea in the valley, begins with this very descent to the river, where I’ll stop with a thermos of coffee and a snack, sometimes alone, sometimes with my family. This artwork captures that gentle shift: the rugged rhythm of walking giving way to the quiet, grounding moment when I stop.

Here this messenger on a swing is suspended between worlds, here to steady, guide, ground us in nature and call us back to ourselves.

And if you look closely… you may spot an unlikely visitor wandering in the valley below…

Now showing at County Fayre, Pohangina, Sundays 1–4 pm until November 30.