Countdown to Manawatu Art Expo
Just 13 days to go until Manawatū Art Expo begins at Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre. To count down to Manawatū Art Expo, we’re sharing the story of some of the artists exhibiting at this year’s event.
In our second Artist A Day post, we introduce you to Gill Allen. Working from her studio in the Horowhenua, Gill’s creative practice focuses on semi-abstracted landscapes and still life compositions. Her paintings are a mix of landscapes and flowers, drawn and painted in both full colour as well as black and white.
Gill considers soft pastel her main medium but says she also loves “dark line, inks”. She explains that her mark-making and drawing style emulate the movement and life found in nature and the natural landscape that surrounds her. This is a style she first began developing at art school - where she fell in love with the linear work of Vincent Van Gogh - but one she has developed and refined throughput her career.
Gill holds a BFA from Otago Art School, as well as a City and Guilds qualification in Further Education Adult Education. As well as seeing Gill’s work at this year’s Manawatū Art Expo, you can explore her art at gillallen.co.nz or follow her on Facebook @gillallenNZArtist.
To see more Artist a Day Posts, and to stay in the know about all things Manawatū Art Expo, make sure you 'Like' Feilding and District Art Society on Facebook.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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