The minute I see the art work created by Tauranga creative Christina Magsig at one of the Affordable Art & Artisan Fairs at the Black Sheep at Whakamarama, I want to have some of it enriching my life.

Tauranga Artist Christina Magsig with her paper-based collage art

Christina creates what I call mid-century modern style collages with scissors and paper. She produces a range of sizes and styles from wall art to cards.

It’s the cards I buy to send overseas – well that’s the intention but they are so beautiful I send one and keep the other to frame. While I’ve bought it as a card it is actually an original, small art work.

Christina and I meet at Love Rosie. The mid-morning and lunchtime rush has diminished so we find a seat at one of the big shared tables. One of the best things about writing for ARTbop is the places I go and the people I meet. Christina is no exception and I fulfil my “nosiness quota” with much laughter and enjoyment. We discover the weirdest mutual antipathy to the dissection of cow’s eyes – that’s why I’m not a doctor. And, during our very long conversation I discover that Christina has another love – food and is well on the way with a second small business venture – so it’s watch this space.

I ask Christina, who like me is a migrant, why she and her partner selected New Zealand. ….“somewhere warm”. Of German descent Christina chose us; she’d never been before but it was straight to Tauranga where fortunately for our creative community she has stayed.

I suspect Christina’s understanding of the structure of the English language is somewhat better than mine as her formal education not only includes art history and English but English literature and what I would call linguistics. She says she’s “artsy and creative” – painting, drawing, sewing. Christina says her art work is “done for fun”. That may be her motivation but when I look at her multi-coloured creations I see collectable art work. She tells me she “loves the feel of paper” – I think that’s evident in what she produces. I wonder how she cuts such tiny shapes and how she manipulates such delicate fragments. I want to tell her that she should be leading workshops.

Outside but undercover at the Black Sheep

Her earlier work reminds of the grid-like colour patterns of Piet Mondrian – that’s the style of the small gift she hands me when we sit down. More recently her presentation has relaxed and I describe the repetitive patterns as “mid-century modern”. The end results also seem so contemporary and now in décor terms. When I go back to the AAAFair Christmas Fair Christina is exhibiting a range of wonderful Christmas cards. Each one is handmade – I think you’d keep them and bring them out year after year as a “decoration”.

Although her current focus is the beautifully presented collages, Christina, who has previously participated in etching workshops, would like to expand her style into lino cuts and “intuitive painting”.

A regular at the Affordable Art & Artisan Fair at the Black Sheep at Whakamarama, Christina has also contributed work to the pre-Christmas exhibitions and sales of work at The Incubator at the Historic Village – in fact you can see one of Christina’s framed works at the beginning of the walk-around I did of the 2018, 110 exhibition at the People’s Gallery.

Christina practices under the title “Heimelig Studio”. She tells me the name means “homely, cosy, a nestling kind of feeling, making things homely wherever you live…” I think it’s a perfect name for such a personally-engaging, multi-talented women and I’m not at all surprised when Christina shares with me that since arriving in New Zealand she and her partner have created their own, new “Christmas traditions”.

Christina Magsig at Love Rosie, Tauranga December 2018

Before we part I ask her for a quote – “go out and make things”

You can see examples of Christina’s work on heimeligstudio.weebly.com and email her at heimeligstudio@tutamail.com

Christina buys much of her paper from Red Studio

Rosemary Balu. Rosemary Balu is the founding and current Managing Editor of ARTbop. Rosemary has arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland. She has been a working lawyer and has participated in a wide variety of community activities where information gathering, submission writing, community advocacy and education have been involved. Interested in all forms of the arts since childhood Rosemary is focused on further developing and expanding multi-media ARTbop as the magazine for all the creative arts in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

ARTbop promotes

(or we think you should check this out!)

THE AFFORDABLE ART & ARTISAN FAIR AT THE BLACK SHEEP WHAKAMARAMA ON THE LAST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH

The next Affordable Art & Artisan Fair will be on the last Sunday of January 2019. The Fairs are held within the Black Sheep Cafe & Restaurant complex on the last Sunday of every month (earlier in December) 11am to 3pm. There is heaps of parking, clean toilets and wonderful food and coffee. There’s live music. There’s an event prize you can win. If you would like to join them as an exhibitor/retailer of your original creativity or artisan products you can contact them at aaafair17@gmail.com

The Fair is sign posted along SH2 with signage to the turnoff of SH2 and Plummer’s Point Road. You won’t be able to miss it! Indoors over winter months and outside in the Summer.

Here;s a taste of some of the amazing art and creativity you’ll find at the Affordable Art & Artisan Fair – Christina Magsig is the featured exhibitor in this Fair.

Travelling down SH2 towards Tauranga check out the thriving arts scene in Kati Kati.

The Carlton Gallery at The Arts Junction

In and around Downtown Tauranga make sure to visit the wonderful, vibrant exhibition in the Atrium of the TAG by Emma Prill. ARTbop’s Lee Switzer has just published some images of this exhibition and the artist.