14 Wairarapa Midweek Extra Wednesday, April 6, 2022 ARATOI VOICES
Extra
A most remarkable artist
Last week, I was looking around the collection store at Aratoi in search for a particular painting. It always impresses me, every time I walk into that room, the sheer number and variety of art that Aratoi has collected and looked after for the past 50 years. Being an artist is a huge lifelong commitment. Art doesn’t just happen. It takes years of dedication and perseverance to create these works, to commit to exhibitions and to improve with practice. Which is why I am blown away by our next artist exhibiting in the Windows Gallery, Hamish Kummer. Hamish is a well-known man in Wairarapa and particularly in Masterton. He would whizz around on a bike and sidecar and is a well-respected and well-liked patron at King Street Arworks. Kummer has also won 42 medals in track and field athletics; notably for javelin, shotput and running in the National Disabled Games in New Zealand, Fiji, and Hong Kong. Kummer’s exhibition, The way I see it is a joyful
Hamish Kummer, The Boat at Giverny (2014), acrylic on stretched canvas.
and colourful collection of eclectic pastiche paintings. A pastiche is a common way for artists to
practise; it’s not a copy of another painting or image, but an interpretation where the artist will add
PHOTO/SUPPLIED
something new to the picture. It is rather fun recognising the original art or artist model.
Kummer certainly has perseverance and determination in spades. He was born with cerebral palsy, a brain condition that leaves victims with spastic, jerky movement, major speech impediments, hearing and sight problems and learning difficulties. However, this did not stop him wanting to paint and when he discovered King Street Artworks he flourished. With a great understanding of colour and composition, everything the artist produced required intense concentration and focus in order to control his movements. Kummer is an inspiration and a role model, showing that with determination and practise, absolutely anything is possible. • A floor talk is presented by Rhondda Greig and Judith Fyfe at 11am on April 9 to open the exhibition. Hamish Kummer will be joining us. • Hamish Kummer: The way I see it showing at Aratoi 9 April- 15 May.
Wairarapa Herb Society now and then A group of dedicated herbalists, laymen and women, meet every third Tuesday of the month to study and share their knowledge of herbs, both culinary and medical. They are joined by speakers from a wide field of expertise. Outings are organised to herb farms, specialist nurseries and gardens. Themes like permaculture, organic, sustainable or companion gardening are widely explored. A herb garden next to Haumanu House in Carterton is tended by members. Educational panels will soon be established at the garden
and these will provide information about the usage and goodness of different herbs and herbal remedies. The society was established in 1982 and has grown over the years thanks to all the members who contributed by opening their gardens, attending or running meetings, sharing information and, in short, keep the memory of former herb society members alive.
Looking through the Herb Society’s historical records of 40 years one sentence, made as a comment at a workshop, sums up the society’s focus: “Herbs - the essence of life”. • If you would like to know more about herbs their uses and benefits, contact the Wairarapa Herb Society waiherbs@gmail. com or call Christine (027) 280-6739. The society meets every third Tuesday of the month at 1.30pm in the Old Courthouse, next to the Events Centre, Carterton.
The Wairarapa Herb Society established the ÿ rst public herb garden next to the arts centre on the corner of Bruce and Dixon streets, Masterton. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
