Work of the Month

Avis spent much of her spare time at Bondi Beach in the early 1940s, not only swimming, body surfing and sunbathing but also sketching others - the surfers and swimmers. Here these activities are placed on the pattern of the waves. The predominant white and pale blue give a summery feeling.
The design was produced in Wellington to form part of the Portfolio that Avis took to England.
The design appeared on the cover of Douglas Lloyd Jenkins book "Joie de Vivre".

Kowhai (D22)

Acrylic on Paper

Designed in Wellington in 1949 before she set out for Europe, here Avis has drawn the New Zealand native plant, the Kowhai. It was unusual to represent native flora on dress fabrics at this time, but Avis based several of her designs on them - Karaka Berries (D 20), Hebe, Native Rose (D10),Flax (D13), Fern,another version of the Kowhai (D 19) and Kowhai and Pohutakawa (D 15)