Community ready to restart river mural

September 3rd, 2015
[by David Armstrong]

It's not much fun painting on a cold wall in winter, but with the days now lengthening the murals team in Motueka are preparing to finish the River mural on Whitwells wall.

Weather permitting, work will recommence on Saturday, September 12 when a unique feature of the mural will be added, before final detailing is done on the people, mountains and flora in the image.

Because of the special importance the Motueka river plays in the history of Maori culture through to the present day, a kowhaiwhai (pattern or motif) developed by local iwi will feature in the sky near the top of the mural.

It is the same kowhaiwhai shape which dominates the roof in the wharenui at Te Awhina Marae, modified to suit the colours of the mural. Producing it has required a complex series of steps, including a computer-generated and hand-sliced stencil which will be transferred to the wall and used as a painting guide.

The mural organisers hope that painting it onto the wall will be completed over one weekend. From then, it will be blended into the sky colour and become like a subtle watermark overlooking the scene.

The managing artist and designer of the mural, Lower Moutere-based Karin Fruhauf, expects that the whole mural including the border and lettering will be completed by the end of October.

Of course, she says, this will depend largely on having at least four or five people who can paint details of people and other features on the mural. Plus, of course, a team of five to eight people to trace and paint the kowhaiwhai.

All of the mural painted so far has involved only community members under Karin's instruction. She welcomes anyone who can paint without direct supervision to come on fine weekends for a few hours to help with a part of the mural.

This mock-up shows how the kowhaiwhai pattern will appear on one section of the
Motueka River mural, ready to be coloured.

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