‘Miracle of colours' on display at show
Robert Brash says his home is full of his wife Marta's paintings.
"You get to know them," he said.
A broad selection of her works are on display at the at the gallery in the Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre, Mandeville, until the end of August.
The artist is away visiting her home of Budapest during that period, but Mr Brash was at home working on the farm and available to talk about his wife's art practice.
The bright colours, rainbow backgrounds and natural elements were due to his wife's sunny personality, Mr Brash said.
"It's just her, I want to say nature. She's got a bright disposition, put it that way."
Orange Pebbles by Marta Brash, on show at Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre, Mandeville, until the end of August. Photo: Ella Scott-Fleming
The show features a range of works, from bright landscape paintings to ink drawings of mushrooms with a psychedelic watercolour wash.
When asked if his wife had an affinity for nature, Mr Brash said she was simply a happy person, who liked happy things.
One of the paintings was a detailed portrayal of an Airlie Beach craft gin bottle.
Mr Brash said the bottle was gifted to the couple by the distillery's owner, who once lived locally.
Nothing was safe in their home, Mr Brash said, as items such as the gin bottle became memorialised in his wife's still lifes, with more exaggerated, fantastical backdrops.
Born in Budapest in 1954, Marta studied art and music and grew up wanting to be a music teacher.
Marta Brash at an exhibition in 2018. Photo: supplied
Her life was redirected and interior design and painting became her main focus.
In Budapest she ran a shop selling custom-made furniture and decor as well as offering home staging and interior design consultancy.
She moved to New Zealand in 2001 with her daughter, gained a interior design diploma and met her husband while she was working in New World Gore and married in 2014.
She described her husband as as her "first and very strict critic".
In her exhibition write-up, she said she cared about her community as well as nature and animals.
She believed in the power of colours to make viewers feel happy or sad which she called the "miracle of colours".
ella.scott-fleming@alliedpress.co.nz
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‘Miracle of colours' on display at show
Two fantastical still lifes by Marta Brash, on show at Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre, Mandeville, until the end of August. Photo: Ella Scott-Fleming Robert Brash says his home is full of his wife Marta's paintings. "You get to know them," he said. A broad selection of her works are on display at the at the gallery in the Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre, Mandeville, until the end of August. The artist is away visiting her home of Budapest during that period, but Mr Brash was at home working on the farm and available to talk about his wife's art practice. The bright colours, rainbow backgrounds and natural elements were due to his wife's sunny personality, Mr Brash said. "It's just her, I want to say nature. She's got a bright disposition, put it that way." Orange Pebbles by Marta Brash, on show at Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre, Mandeville, until the end of August. Photo: Ella Scott-Fleming The show features a range of works, from bright landscape paintings to ink drawings of mushrooms with a psychedelic watercolour wash. When asked if his wife had an affinity for nature, Mr Brash said she was simply a happy person, who liked happy things. One of the paintings was a detailed portrayal of an Airlie Beach craft gin bottle. Mr Brash said the bottle was gifted to the couple by the distillery's owner, who once lived locally. Nothing was safe in their home, Mr Brash said, as items such as the gin bottle became memorialised in his wife's still lifes, with more exaggerated, fantastical backdrops. Born in Budapest in 1954, Marta studied art and music and grew up wanting to be a music teacher. Marta Brash at an exhibition in 2018. Photo: supplied Her life was redirected and interior design and painting became her main focus. In Budapest she ran a shop selling custom-made furniture and decor as well as offering home staging and interior design consultancy. She moved to New Zealand in 2001 with her daughter, gained a interior design diploma and met her husband while she was working in New World Gore and married in 2014. She described her husband as as her "first and very strict critic". In her exhibition write-up, she said she cared about her community as well as nature and animals. She believed in the power of colours to make viewers feel happy or sad which she called the "miracle of colours".
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