The Cupcake Collection

Riccarton Rotary Market, Christchurch. Sept.2008. Ajr

I photographed these edible works of art at the Riccarton Rotary Market last weekend.

They're made by The Cupcake Collection, who have now opened a store in Beckenham. I don't know what it is about cupcakes but I would rather photograph them than eat them - usually! They seem like little sculptures to me.

Digging Up the City ........

................ in the name of ART.

What fun...construction crews all over town are digging, hefting and lifting as they install and/or create works for SCAPE 2008. Some of our more sedate little parks are being torn asunder and I can't wait to see what takes shape. I hope I won't be disappointed. www.scapebiennial.org.nz

Salt and Pepper

New Brighton Pier, Christchurch. Sept. 2008. Ajr

It was a case of right place right time a week or so ago, when I caught these shadows in SALT restaurant on New Brighton Pier........slanting nicely across the salt and pepper shakers. A small amusement I know but I'm easily pleased.

Light Work

Riccarton Rotary Market, Christchurch. Sept.2008. Ajr

I was drawn to these two lights at Riccarton Rotary Market last weekend - or more precisely, to the way they were illuminated by the morning sun.....a bright spot under the oak trees.

A Lyttelton Corner

British Hotel, Lyttelton. Sept. 2008. Ajr

One of the hefty corner pub buildings in Lyttelton, just over the hills from Christchurch.

Lyttelton is the busiest port in the South Island.

Seaside Living

Taylor's Mistake, Christchurch. Sept. 2008. Ajr

LOVE

This old bach at Taylor's Mistake

Over the hills from Christchurch

Billboard of the Week

Blenheim Road, Christchurch. Sept. 2008. Ajr

Here's another in D.A Lewis's 'Furniture for Every Occasion' series.

Put 'Advertising with a Roar' into the blog search box above left and you'll see my other favourite in this quirky animal series.

Creative Coffee

Lyttelton Coffee Company, Sept.2008. Ajr

As a writer and a coffee addict I was always going to relate warmly to the funky cafe atmosphere of the Lyttelton Coffee Company, where they have displayed old typewriters on the wall. I felt right at home. They've converted one of the town's old buildings into a great central meeting place - one I highly recommend if you want to get a feel for this quirky little port town.

Small Moments of Greed

Pink Cupcakes

@

Riccarton Rotary Market

Signs of Art

'Signs' Maider Lopez. Christchurch Art Gallery. Sept.2008. Ajr

Spanish Artist Maider Lopez has gone through Christchurch Art Gallery highlighting some of the buildings more functional aspects - all in the name of art and SCAPE 2008. All those little boxes and switches and buttons on the grey walls that you may never have noticed before, have suddenly taken on a much more interesting 'persona' - which all serves to highlight the fact that most of us sail through the average day missing an enormous amount of visual detail.

Rural Oasis

Broadfields, Selwyn Road. Sept. 2008. Ajr

I drove out of town this morning to visit Broadfields, the large - and I mean Large - formal garden that has been developed by David Hobbs. It covers an expansive eleven acres and features almost two kilometres of hedging. Naturally, as a hedge-lover, I was in my element. But along with all the native New Zealand plantings, there are also beautiful rhodoendron and azalea gardens - just bursting into spring bloom. The garden is open to the public on Saturdays and it's DEFINITELY worth a visit.

Winter Green

Hagley Park, Christchurch. August 2008. Ajr

Hopefully this is one of the last

Chilly winter landscapes that I will post

For this year

Daily Bread

Riccarton, Christchurch. Sept.2008. Ajr

Fresh Goodies

@

Riccarton Rotary Market

Christchurch

Barry's Provocative Unpublished Minutes - 33

'Untitled.'

Here's another inkjet print from one of New Zealand's top printmakers.If you want to see the whole series thus far, click on 'Cleavin' in the tag line below this post.

Did You Know.....

• That Sophora Microphyllais is the most common of the 8 species of NZ Kowhai?
• That it is the national flower of New Zealand?
• That the tree - especially the seeds - are poisonous?
• That according to Maori lore, the spring flowering marks the time for planting kumera (sweet potato)?

A Sign of the Times

Welcome to Christchurch!

Where we strictly monitor human movement!

Just kidding. It's really the sign drawing attention to the counting device above the Christchurch Art Gallery gift shop door. I thought it amusing.

I blame my over-active imagination!

In reality it is part of a gallery-wide work by Spanish artist, Maider Lopez, who is one of the 25 artists from 15 countries participating in SCAPE 2008 Wandering Lines: Towards a New Culture of Space, which officially opens on September 19. I do love artworks that 'spring out of nowhere' and make you rethink your everyday environment - and anything that draws attention to the proliferation of marketing text and signage in our urban environment gets a very big tick from me.

www.scapebiennial.org.nz

Market Fresh

Riccarton Rotary Market, Christchurch. Sept.2008. Ajr

The Protea is among my favourite flowers so I felt fully justified in getting carried away with my camera at Riccarton Rotary Market early this morning. I snapped these beauties just as the sun was peeking through the trees and landing on these spikey petals. The market itself was in fine shape this morning. It seems to get bigger every time I visit... it is, supposedly, New Zealand's biggest outdoor market and now attracts well over 300 vendors. It's just the place to hunt out a good bargain - or fresh produce and delicious cakes. I photographed a few of those too - and ate the rest!

Self-Portrait 6 - At a Market

Leaning on a Post

Waiting

At Riccarton Rotary Market

Fishy Business

New brighton Pier. Sept. 2008. Ajr

I was rather taken with the quirky placement

Of this sign half way up a lighting pole

On New Brighton Pier

Cool Cars - 16

One Bright Yellow 1964 Ford Anglia - Spotted in Christchurch