Creator of colourful crafts

Ruapehu Bulletin, 20 August 1991, Page 7

Creator of colourful crafts

Innovative crafts are on show in Ohakune for the next few weeks, in the temporary "Zeta Gallery". Ohakune artisan Ali Shannon has organised the event, showing her range of hand-painted jewellery, clocks, candle holders, boxes and small furniture pieces. Ali works with husband John Ball to create her pieces, with John making the wooden pieces and Ali hand painting her designs on them. John, a Canadian who is fascinated with New Zealand native timber, also fashions natural timber pieces. Other crafts people have been included in the Zeta Gallery exhibition, staged next to the BNZ in Ohakune until the end of the school holidays. Tokaanu wood turner Alan Soon, Auckland silk painter Toni Millar, ceramic artist Bob Steiner from Auckland,

pressed flower gift card creator Shirley Cummins from Wellington, homemade mustards maker Jenny Knight from Dannevirke, and painter Pauline Morse are ali represented.

Ali said the idea to set up the exhibition has come from showing their work at various craft shows around the North Island. "We decided it would

add to the school holiday atmosphere when there are a lot of people about," said Ali. Her craft career started quite by accident about three years ago, said Ali, when she wanted to buy some brightly coloured brooches but couldn't find what she wanted. She decided to make her own, then moved on to making earings. Friends and relatives began asking her to make pieces for them, which led to making them for sale as a hobby. Earlier this year she decided to expand the

hobby into more of a going concern, creating the "ornamental pieces such as clocks and mirrors, candlesticks, boxes and trinkets.

Almost ali of her work is painted wood, the pieces cut by husband John. She said there is no deliberate inspiration for her designs.

"The jewellery designs are dictated by fashion to a large degree," said Ali, "which keeps it much more interesting for me."