Gallery hosts sacred works for a secular age

By Charles Barrington, Blueskin Gallery

Gallery on Blueskin will host a show by New Zealand artist Clare
Reilly from Saturday 4 February.
Clare's works express an underlying connection with the natural
environment, in particular an empathy with native birds combined with
a celebration of the joyous aspects of life. Serene and meditative,
her paintings are sacred works for a secular age.
Clare's painting career has spanned the last three decades and she
continues to paint full-time in Christchurch. She says, "There's an
utter, utter joy and pleasure in working with paint that fulfils me
tremendously. I feel like I'm flying."
In recent years Clare has completed many private commissions and her
works have found their way into collections in Argentina, North
America, Israel, Europe, Australia and the Middle East, as well as
throughout New Zealand. She has exhibited extensively over the past
three decades.
For the past three years, Clare has worked closely with the Banks
Peninsula Conservation Trust on the Tui Restoration Project, and was
given the opportunity to be part of the 2010 Tui Capture and Transfer
team that worked on Maud Island, as well as providing resources for
fundraising the project.