Matakana, less than an hour north of Auckland and well known for its weekly Village Farmers Market, is special. It has creative and innovative people, great food and wine, galleries and many beaches and regional parks to explore.

These assets have been woven into a 5-day programme of artistic workshops, to be held in May 2017. Participants will learn from

talented tutors, exchange ideas and techniques, meet people with diverse interests, and discover Matakana and its surrounding area.

The tutors for the arts workshops listed below have been recruited from around New Zealand, are highly qualified, and in many cases multi award-winning masters of their art.

Painting and drawing with Mandy Thomsett-Taylor, teaching a variety of painting and drawing methods.

Making a Windsor chair with Richard Hare, using hand tools and pre Industrial Revolution techniques.

Eco-dyeing and felting with Marion van Oeveren, including textile design techniques such as shibori and stencilling.

Fiction writing with author Owen Marshall.

Kiln-formed glass and sandblasting with Liz Sharek.

Digital photography with David Wethey.

Flax (harakeke) weaving with Kahutoi Te Kanawa.

Sculpture with Jeff Thomson, featuring the many techniques and processes he has perfected.

Other events will comprise two half-day trips to Gibbs Farm and  four celebrations of local food and wine cooked by exceptional chefs in some outstanding local homes.

All classes—except for the Gibbs Farm visit and food classes, which are booked by the day—will run from Monday to Friday 8-12 May, from 9.30 to 4.30 except Friday when classes finish at 12 noon.

Because class sizes are small, register early for this memorable week in Matakana.

For more information on classes and fees, and to register on line, go to our website. www.creativematakana.nz

For further queries or to receive a brochure email creativematakana@gmail.com