Splash 2024 - National Watercolour Exhibition

The 2024 annual Splash exhibition is a highlight of the New Zealand Arts calendar and a not-to-be-missed event for art lovers. Splash 2024 is an exhibition of paintings presented by talented local and national artist members of Watercolour New Zealand Inc who will share their talents at Pataka, the major art gallery located in the heart of the Porirua City Centre.

This year’s Splash 2024 has invited two guest artist’s, well known in the New Zealand art community :-Pam Lines and Denis Greenwood.

Pam Lines is a Waihi Beach based watercolour artist whose paintings seek to connect with the viewer by capturing the essence of place through simplicity of the image captured and her wonderful watercolour technique. For each painting Pam uses the working mantra “keep it simple, feel the essence” which helps her to develop her paintings in an uncomplicated way. She works in a series, often representing the tide, the coast, the water and the local landscape. These elements feed her creative energy, resulting in dynamic works that have colour and movement. At Splash 2022 Pam won the Gordon Harris award for innovation in watercolour.

The other guest artist is Dennis Greenwood of Levin. Dennis paints mainly in watercolours, and his main subjects follow his passion for the outdoors and reflect the features and the ‘moods’ of the New Zealand landscape or seascape. Dennis says “I ask myself all the time why I paint…why create when you can just go around looking at things or photographing things? For me there are two answers. The first is that I prefer to look at paintings. The second is that I enjoy making paintings.” He likes to paint large to give the viewer a sense of being surrounded by the scene. Dennis Greenwood's paintings have often merited the important People’s Choice Award at exhibitions and in 2012 he was a joint winner of the Watercolour New Zealand Supreme Award.

Splash 2024, is the national exhibition of Watercolour New Zealand and will feature around 300 paintings by professional and amateur artists from North Cape to Bluff. Exhibiting artists will include the top names in New Zealand watercolour including Adrienne Pavelka, Bernadette Parsons, Svetlana Orinko, Jacky Pearson, Min Kim, Richard Bolton, Alan Collins, Dianne Taylor, Kimbra Taylor, Kit Ong and Joy De Geus.

There will be a wide range of paintings to view in a variety of styles, sizes and price ranges and all artworks will be for sale. Splash 2024 will include works to suite all tastes and many paintings will depict popular local and national scenery.

Visitors who would like to watch watercolours being painted are welcome to watch as experienced artists demonstrate their skills. Demonstrations are scheduled for 1 - 3pm on weekends.

Splash 2024 is where some of the best New Zealand art comes together to be enjoyed and to inspire. The show offers a feast for art lovers, an exhibition you won’t want to miss.