Begin the Open Art Studios weekend with a social networking gathering at the historic Old School Hall in Greenhithe. Enjoy drinks and nibbles, meet the artists, event organizers, and local board members, and pick up your event brochure and map.

Friday 8 May
5pm - 7pm

Greenhithe Old School Building
15A Collins Park, Greenhithe Road, Greenhithe

Louise is an Auckland-based painter creating atmospheric abstract works that explore light, depth and quiet colour relationships. Working in layered oil pigments, her paintings evolve slowly through blending and soft transitions, allowing subtle shifts in tone and luminosity to emerge. Her work reflects a fascination with stillness, mood and the emotional qualities of colour, creating pieces that feel calm, contemplative and quietly immersive.

Wicklam Bush Studio is the creative home of Lesley Pearce, a textile and mixed media artist inspired by the native bush surrounding her on Wicklam Lane.

Sarah’s predominantly abstract quilts are made as textile art. Many spaces in her home feature innovative quilt art, from bold and bright to more restful limited colour palettes. Both large eye-catching works and small pieces demonstrate design, construction, stitching and quilting skills of an experienced maker.

Barry Ross Smith is an oil painter creating surreal imagery of islands dotted with colonial villas and oversized birds. His works obliquely draw concern for our environment and the after effects of colonialism upon our native species. They feature in public, private and corporate collections across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

An invitation to meet Julie Freeman (Internationally recognised Pastel Artist) in her studio environment while she is working on her hyper realistic pastel paintings with Husband Michael.

An invitation to meet Michael Freeman (Internationally recognised Pastel Artists) in his studio environment while he is working on his hyper realistic pastel paintings alongside wife Julia.