KONAE ARONUI
What To Say To Your Harshest Weaving Critic
It is very hard to look at a piece you have woven and see it for what it is.
It is so common for weavers, of all abilities, to be critical of their work. So often we look at our weaving and see only what we deem to be faults. It’s too crooked, there’s a mistake in that ara, the weaving is not tight enough, the weaving is too tight, the tension is out, the colour is wrong, the size is out of proportion…. the list of faults goes on.
This can be very helpful in that it may urge you on to weave tighter or to adjust your tension or to be more mindful of the preparation of materials. It can also be very harmful in that it can crush your confidence in yourself and in your hands.
It is very important to find a balance in your self critiquing of your weaving. It is very important to always remember that weaving is a series of lessons that will continue to teach you for as long as you are weaving.
The next time you hear that critical voice inside your head I would...
'Mo Te Iwi: Carving For The People' to Premiere at International Film Festival
This feature-length documentary film tells the story of traditional carver, Rangi Hetet. Now 82, Rangi is one of the last remaining carvers of a group, led by Hone Taiapa, called 'Konae Aronui'. For those who know little about whakairo, the film gives an insight into the life of a carver and the maintenance of the art forms indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand.
World premiere of the film Mo Te Iwi: Carving For The People in Wellington this Sunday, 28 July at Soundings Theatre, Te Papa.
Click here to book for Wellington Premiere
The film will also screen in Auckland and Christchurch at the NZ International Film Festival.
Did you know that Rourou and Kono Are Not The Same?
Nōu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai tatou kātoa.
With your food basket, with my food basket, all of us will prosper.
The rourou speaks so well about co-operation and it is one of the simplest and most quickly woven of baskets. A perfect 'bowl' for kai (well, most foods - except soup).
It is a five-cornered basket like the one pictured here woven by one of our online students - Bybi Clarke
Whereas, the kono is a simple four-cornered basket.
Even though they may look the same, they are actually quite different baskets.
You might like to check out our article about why weaving kono can make you a better weaver.
Pictured below are kono woven by Veranoa Hetet.
The Hetet School of Māori Art Now Inside at Arohata and Christchurch Womens
Special Award For Online Pilot Project in Prison
23 October 2018 Te Papa National Museum, Wellington New Zealand
The Open Source Awards
The awards dinner for The NZ Open Source Awards ended on a high note for Māori weaving when Chris Cormack announced one final, special award for the evening to recognise the Weaving Online in Prison Pilot project.
Here is a link to the video recording of the award announcement.
7 Tips To Help You Find Time For Weaving
"I desperately want to get to my weaving but I feel like there's no time!"
Is not being able to find time to weave getting you down?
Break the weaving drought with these 7 top tips:
#1 Make a Date with Your Weaving
There are only 24 hours in a day. No more. No less. Scheduling time can make it possible to find more time to weave. Try to be realistic.
Decide on a day or night that you will make your 'date with weaving' time. Treat it like a date - make sure the kids are taken care of, make a special space in your home for that weaving time, get yourself and everything ready. Turn up for your date. No rain checks or brush-offs.
#2 Start with a small project
Being over-ambitious can sometimes be counter-productive but if you start with something small, that can be achieved in a short space of time, it can swing you into action knowing that you can get your weaving project done.
#3 Try not attempting too many tasks at once - like gathering,...
Why Mataariki is a Great Time To Begin Your Kākahu Journey
Matariki is a time when the crisp, cool of early nights draws you inside to hunker down and turn inwards. It's the perfect time to start planting the seeds of your weaving dreams and make plans to bring those dreams to reality.
If you've been thinking about weaving kākahu, especially something like a korowai, then winter in the southern hemisphere is the time to begin honing your skills for the mammoth task that weaving a korowai is. (If you're in the northern hemisphere from June-August then you'll be thinking about harvesting for raranga).
Taaniko is the best thing to learn and practise first because it's one of those great indoor activities to do when you want to snuggle up on the sofa, keep warm and shut out the rest of the world.
Once you've honed your taaniko skills through the winter months you'll be able to move on to hieke by the spring and by the time summer comes, you'll be finishing that hieke...
Why Weaving Kono Will Make You A Better Weaver
Of all the lessons we teach in Raranga, possibly THE most important one is Kono. This simple four-cornered basket really is the humble beginning of many a great weaver.
So why are kono so important to learn to weave?
Here are three of the best reasons you should learn to weave kono:
#1 You will learn to find your ara (weaving pathway) and keep it
#2 You will learn to make corners easier on a smaller item (such as a kono) first rather than a bigger item such as a kete
#3 You will be able to practise, practise, practise until you acquire the Raranga technique because you will be able to make many more kono one after the other and in doing so you will get more effective practise.
It could be argued (and you may be thinking this yourself) that you could learn those same things by weaving a kete. However, we'd like you to consider this:
Learning to weave a kono first, before you dive headlong into weaving kete, is a really great strategy because...
A Film Featuring Rangimarie Hetet and her daughter Diggeress (Rangituatahi) Te Kanawa
Made for tv.
Four Steps To Banish The Fear Of Selling Your Artwork
Let's be honest: it can be a scary thing selling your artwork. Even the most experienced artist can have a mini-panic attack at the thought of selling their work. I know many a seasoned artist who after years of selling their creations still have self-doubts when it comes to putting their work up for sale.
In another life, for almost a decade, I ran our family gallery at Waiwhetu and I owned Koha Gift stores in Queensgate Hutt City and North City Shopping Malls, Porirua. I have sold many an artwork on behalf of my whānau and other artists. So, while I'm not an artist, I know the signs of artist's fear and the thoughts that go through the mind of an artist when thinking about selling their work:
- My work isn't good enough to sell
- I'm too shy to sell my work
- I don't know how to price my work
Just the thought of selling their artwork makes most artists terrified. Like a possum in headlights they become suddenly paralysed - unable to decide on a price, unable to...
Remembering LEGACY: The Art of Rangi Hetet and Erenora Puketapu-Hetet
Pictured: A mokopuna of Rangi and Erenora, Sophie Ani Owen, and her partner Dan Boyce in front of Te Kāwau Maro at the exhibition LEGACY: The Art of Rangi Hetet and Erenora Puketapu-Hetet, Dowse Art Museum 26 June - 30 October 2016.
Venue: The Dowse Art Museum, Hutt City, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Date: June - October 2016
On a plinth, at the entrance to the six-gallery exhibition, a simple mussel shell and a mallet are displayed. Just beyond, a photograph of my mother Erenora and my father Rangi smiling on their 45th Wedding Anniversary welcomes visitors. The simplicity of that first exhibit belies the breadth of what is on show within: highlights from a creative partnership that spanned more than forty years.
As co-curator of the exhibition, my first job was to convince my father that an exhibition of his carving and Mum’s weaving was warranted. Dad was happy for Mum’s work to be on show but reluctant for his own until I reminded him that carving and...
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