Colin Unkovich

The native NZ Falcon (Karearea) is a bird species which is under threat and tends to prefer more remote, sparsely populated areas for its habitat. In this work I have tried to evoke the idea of one small bird in a very large world.

A celebration of some of the key elements which make our southern landscapes visually striking; clear light, clear water and textural diversity.

This painting is one in a series focusing on the vast areas of shifting sand dunes in Northern New Zealand. Of particular interest to me is the ability of the sand to take on so many widely varying shades of colour under the different light conditions. Also of interest is that although the dune scape looks barren and lifeless (an impression added to in no small measure by the ability to swallow anything in its way) it does in fact support quite an extensive ecosystem.

The initial inspiration for this painting came from the extensive dune systems that can be found in parts of Northland.

This is a painting of a beautiful calm summer’s morning in the Kaitoke River Valley on Great Barrier Island.

This painting seeks to bring to life the extensive dune system of the far North, highlighting the contours and the way the sand holds the hues of ambient light at certain times of the day.

This is the second of my paintings to feature the Kaitoke Valley of Great Barrier Island. I liked the scene so much that I thought it deserved a more panoramic treatment in order to do justice to the landscape.