Tapu Te Ranga Gallery pic via Facebook

Wow this brings back a few memories! My very first home and my old gallery Art Space Island Bay in Wellington, New Zealand is back as a gallery again! So great to see. My old home has had a few different incarnations since I sold it in 2005 - an antique store and fashion boutique. Island Bay is such a lovely spot and the locals were always so supportive of my work. My time in New Zealand is still a big influence on my art, especially when it comes to landscapes.

The crazy thing is the new gallery owner used to run a gallery there in the 90s! Sounds like 139 The Parade has always had a creative history.  I have a lot of fond memories of Wellington and this house - hey its where I met my hubby! But this picture does also bring back memories of scrubbing that floor after weeks of painstakingly removing 1950s plastic tiles. Ahhhh my first attempts at DIY. I'd love to know what the rest of the building looks like inside - wondering if my purple textured bedroom walls and bright blue bathroom ceiling are still there :)

So if you're in Wellington pop in a say hi to the new artists and give my old home a hug for me.