People have the chance to smell the paint, see the raw material, touch sculpture and watch as artists Wendy Pedersen and Kate Steeds People create in downtown Tauranga.


Wendy and Kate are painting in public this week.

The two artists, who are soon to graduate from Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's two year Diploma in Art programme, work in different mediums adding interest to the event.

Wendy works mostly in clay and ‘found objects', but may also been seen at her easel exploring with colour and texture.

'I get inspiration mostly from my past experiences working in the community as a social worker and backpackers manager,” says Wendy, 'but usually my work also reveals my sense of humour somewhere.”

Kate's detailed and research-driven environmental painting subjects show her concern for conservation issues.

'My early interest in art as a teenager has re-emerged with a passion, informed by my science-related occupations in between times,” says Kate.

'It's a way of looking at things, and about people too, but recently I have been fascinated with depicting stories about those remarkable little migrant birds the Godwits.”

The project to have these two artists working in public is made possible with assistance from the polytechnic and Creative Tauranga.

They can be observed 11am-6pm from Tuesday, December 14, on Willow Street, right next to Creative Tauranga.