2008 started off on a high from a successful graduation show at the end of 2007 which lead to the commission of a Large Oil painting called ‘Long Black’ 2m x 1.5m. Next thing I knew I was off on a plane to the other side of the world.
 First stop was California and Las Vegas before departing to where my Dad was raised, in the island of Barbados which is perched in the Caribbean.

 
Meeting up with my Cousins, Aunts and Uncles I was able to enjoy life in the tropics for 10 weeks. Bringing a bag of oil paints and a roll of canvas from home, I set up studio while drinking their fine rum. Paintings I did while in Barbados include ‘Eds Pig Roast’ where my uncle Edwin a couple of times a year cooks a pig on a spit and throws a party for all the extended family and friends to enjoy. Eating, drinking, and playing dominos is high priority in the afternoon proceedings.

‘Sunday at St John’  is a painting based on a Sunday evening tradition at the same house where my Dad and his 12 brothers and sisters grew up. Every Sunday evening the families gather here for a feed and drinking session. Usually on the menu is a big pot of soup cooked outside on top of a wood fire, but on this occasion Uncle Elvis has bread fruit on the fire. Eating and drinking is a big thing in Barbados. They just love it, and I left with a few kgs added to my belly.

‘Sea Princess’ was based on the 2 week Caribbean Cruise we enjoyed. This is set in the Cayman islands where the water was beautiful, clear and warm, and it speaks for all the lovely beaches we stopped at through the Caribbean.

After the Caribbean my brother and I crossed over to the unknown to us land of Ecuador. Having heard lots of warnings of the dangers in South America and knowing very little Spanish, this was a very daunting place for me at the start. Once we met up with fellow Kiwi friends and got out to the coastal village Montanita, my body and soul started to relax. 3 weeks at our beach front hostel with a crew of 14 New Zealanders  made me truly fall in love with this place, and as I’m writing this I can feel it calling me to return. A painting of Montanita will be coming in 2009. After lots of Surfing, drinking, eating, and travelling around on different buses, we headed south to the Country Peru.

We were lucky not to be killed on our bus ride through the mountains to the Peruvian boarder. The bus driver was an absolute maniac flying around the winding roads nearly taking out oncoming traffic, people flying side to side in their seats!  I had to say a little prayer to the man above and I know a lot my friends did the same. The driver happened to be wearing a rally driving T-shirt.

Once across the border into Peru, the whole landscape changed drastically. Lush bush filled mountains turned into flat dessert land.  The first towns we drove by I found quite shocking, as the roads were filled with rubbish dumped along the sides giving off awful smells. In saying this, we did visit some lovely spots, and scored the best waves of my life (by far) at numerous world-class left hand point breaks- Lobitos and Chicama being the stand outs. The locals were really friendly and the nightlife was pumping in Lima and Cusco. The painting ‘Sin Cebolla’ (Which is Spanish for no onion) is based on the great waves Peru had to offer and the upbeat party atmosphere abundant in the big cities.

Since returning home I have been painting full time and have established a connection with The Warwick Henderson Gallery where 2 of my paintings have been included in his Summer Catalogue Exhibition. The paintings ‘108 People’ and ‘South Piha’  have people enjoying the summer festivities about to take place this year over the summer holidays.

My most important painting of 2008 is ‘18 Kiwi’s in Peru’. This painting is made from a collection of memories and photographs to capture the chaotic pace of a busy Peruvian city. This shows  the Cruz Del Sur bus parked behind us,  a bus which took us on 20 hour trips through the country sitting on  first class lazy boy seats,  (and a vallium pill brought over the counter at a local Pharmacia) to help make  these rides more bearable. The bank robbery down the street which is taking place in the painting is based on a time when I was at the gold mining city of Cajamarca and had to run from gunfire as a Scotiabank was being robbed just around the corner.  I hid behind the counter at a bakery as more gunshots and panic took place. Later I heard that a policia had been killed and the banditos got caught. That was enough to scare the sh.t out of me and put life back into perspective.

After 3 months of slog on this large piece it is near completion and will be exhibited at my solo exhibition next year.

My 6 month trip opened up my mind to new ideas and opportunities for my paintings. I feel an overseas trip is an important life experience for many young New Zealanders, moments that will be remembered forever and help shape our personalities.

Thank you
Tyrone Vaughan Layne
tvlat@hotmail.com