Art inspired by nature

Creative Conservation
compiled by 
Chrissy Wickes & Sonia Frimmel

Sometimes great stories are told through the spoken or written word and sometimes it is through imagery that we can convey the most important messages. Lou Sanson, Director General of the Department of Conservation writes in the foreword of the book. 
    Creative Conservation: a celebration of New Zealand artists who are wild about nature showcases the paintings, sculptures, carvings, ceramics and weavings of 35 artists from around New Zealand. 
    New Zealand has a distinctive landscape and flora and fauna and there are many artists who celebrate this through their work. Their art looks at what inspires them, and how their awareness of the importance of conservation motivates their work.
       This book is a celebration of their artistic talents as well as what makes New Zealand unique.
    Many of the artists featured have close ties with the Department of Conservation so have enjoyed favoured access to and interaction with the landscape. 
    For me personally, the standouts from the book are Ginney Deavoll and Ruth Cole with their acrylic on canvas, Hannah Edmonds with her watercolour and ink, Jo Ogier with her mixed media art.
    Creative Conservation is a unique book, the only New Zealand conservation-based creative collection of its kind. It should be in every school library. Both art and classroom teachers would find it a wonderful resource to inspire students to join in the conservation effort and create their own artworks. 
    Creatives in all disciplines will be inspired and informed with this book compiled by Chrissy Wickes and Sonia Frimmel.
    Chrissy Wickes has worked in conservation for more than 30 years and her work has seen her travel extensively around New Zealand, including many outlying, isolated parts of the country. She is also an artist and her oil paintings capture the magnificence of the New Zealand landscape. She has worked with other artists who are also interested in conservation in curating group exhibitions and shares their passion for furthering conservation efforts through their artwork.
    Sonia Frimmel is a Waikato-based artist and author of guidebooks to her region’s walking and cycle tracks. She also produces creative display panels with conservation themes – incorporating art to tell these stories that are important to her. She is inspired by her 30 years working alongside people committed to conservation and the time she has spent tramping in some of New Zealand’s most beautiful places.
   I think together Chrissy Wickes and Sonia Frimmel have created an inspirational book that will appeal to all who are art lovers and or conservationists.

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Review by Renee Hollis

Title: Creative Conservation
Compilers: Chrissy Wickes & Sonia Frimmel
Publisher:  New Holland
ISBN: 9781869665432
RRP: $45.00
Available: bookshops