I believe that the promoter behind the duck who continually writes to your
paper to conjure up support for her ‘work of art’ needs to get on
with some other work.
Please councillors, do not allow this eyesore on our main street, put it somewhere
its supporter can enjoy it. Michael Waite’s idea of it going by the skating
park is a wonderful idea. More fitting of CHB depict the four seasons we enjoy
here.
Come on CHB artists; come up with an icon which is worthy of our town, and
one we can be proud of.
B Wood
Waipawa
CHB Mail, Tuesday September 27, 2005
Letters to Editor
In response
In response to B Wood’s letter last week I have a few facts that I would
like to set straight.
Firstly she claimed that I promoted Pawa the Duck as my ‘work of art’.
This I have never done. I have never claimed, not even once, that Pawa the duck
is a ‘work of art’.
When I made Pawa the Duck it was to promote the annual duck race and a sense
of fun, not as a serious piece of art. It has certainly achieved this, and more,
as it has caught the imagination of residents and travellers alike, having had
many photographs taken of it and over fifty articles appearing in local and
regional newspapers around New Zealand –even the Woman’s weekly!(which
is a lot more than a serious piece of art would ever achieve).
It also had an overwhelming response at last weeks Hastings Blossom Festival
which has helped cement even more strongly to me the power a little yellow duck
has over the majority of people young and old – and the sense of fun it
promotes.
Secondly, I have not ‘continually’ written to the paper to promote
it as B Wood suggests ‘to conjure up support of my work’. My last
letter on the subject was back in September 2004 and was my only letter I have
ever written to CHB Mail, unlike B Wood’s two letters in last week’s
edition!
I cannot be held responsible for articles written in various newspapers or
magazines about the duck, especially if reporters ring me up and ask for comment!
It is true I promote Pawa the duck. If anyone asks me about it I will answer
honestly and with passion, and I will continue to support Pawa as at least it
puts Waipawa on the map, unlike any wishy-washy ideas about promoting four seasons…
which have no basis so far for any promotion.
And thirdly, B Wood suggests in her letter that I should ‘get on with
some other work’ Well… if she was so interested in art as her letter
claims, she would already know that I do other serious ‘works of art’.
I have recently participated in two art local exhibitions in the last three
months and have sold statues at both events. I have also recently been asked
to be part of the Hawkes Bay Art Trail this year and will have works shown in
the Tikokino garden walks in November. For three years in a row I have been
asked to exhibit my work in ‘The celebration of New Zealand Sculpture
exhibition’ in Havelock North where I have sold several statues, and I
also have my own website with my statues displayed on it (www.positivelystoneaged.com)
I not only work at school teaching children to read everyday, but I spend
my afternoons and a good deal of my weekends carving rock. Plus I involve myself
with local events - So I think I do ‘get on with other work’ probably
a lot more than she thinks and a lot more than she does herself.
Perhaps before B Wood takes on the task of writing to the paper to attack ‘the
promoter behind the duck’ she should get her facts straight!
Jan Gosling
(Maker and Ardent supporter of the duck)
Duck ‘huntered’
Cr Michael Waite should remember that Pawa the Duck is a national and local
icon, and should therefore not be ‘Huntered’
