Rather than focusing on Auckland’s major landmarks, Michelle is drawn to its quieter, more overlooked places, boat sheds, moorings, wharves and waterfront structures that carry a sense of history and everyday life. Like the huts and baches she paints throughout New Zealand, these places tell stories about how people have lived, worked and connected with the landscape.
Michelle Bellamy has focused on Auckland’s Ōrākei boat sheds because they reflect her interest in the relationship between people, simple structures and the New Zealand landscape. Their weathered character, distinctive colours and repeating forms, set against the water, boats and reflections of the Ōrākei Basin, provide endless opportunities to explore light, colour and atmosphere.
For Michelle, the Ōrākei boat sheds are more than picturesque subjects. They are a distinctive part of Auckland’s coastal character, and her detailed paintings help preserve their individuality, atmosphere and place within New Zealand’s changing landscape.
