New Exhibition - Annie Hayward "Under Lock and Key"

Opening at the Rona Gallery, 151 Muritai Road, Eastbourne, Lower Hutt New Zealand on the 13 October 2006, at 7pm.

Come and experience the exquisite and reflective view and the world that is of Annie Hayward. See her humourous and the lighter side of life illustrated beautifully in this exhibition!

Inspiration for my paintings starts as little seeds of thought, derived form my own experiences and from observations of life, things my friends say or do and animals I love. The little 'seeds' then begin to reveal themselves to me, like minute stories or scenes in a play, hence the title for this exhibition.

So I invite you, to enter through the portal of my imagination and into my world of the figurative landscape where I endeavour to conjure up artworks that reflect magic, romance and a good dose of humour - all the positive emotions we need in life.. so let the show begin and never end!"
A sample of her paintings are no longer online, under Paintings and Annie Hayward.

I hope to see you at this fabulous exhibition.

Our new website is www.ronagallery.co.nz

Spring Exhibition 2006

New exhibition Opening Saturday 2 September at 11:00am, through to 17 September.

Our new premises has lured two new artists to this Spring Exhibition. The ceramic specialist, Brian Gartside and Laurel Harris, known for her flair in textiles.

As well as these fantastic new artists, this exhibition includes the ever-popular old favourites:

Lance O'Gorman, Neo-Impressionist - See his exciting new style of art, unveiled exclusively at this exhibition.

John Henry Holmes, Realist - A public favourite

Paul Tait, Surrealist - Along with his stunning new pieces, this exhibition includes work he vowed he'd never sell now revealed for the first time from his personal collection.

And of course, last not least Richard Ponder with this experimental variety of subjects including nature, city-scapes and abstracts.

Don't miss our latest offering of fabulous art through and throughout with a wide selection of books and gifts. This is a true fantastic opportunity to re-visit the world of art and Richard Ponder.

Exhibition: A New Abode and comments from the Ponder family

Thanks to everybody who came to the opening of RONA, we've had some
fantastic feedback, not only for the opening but at the way the building looks
and also the events over the weekend.

Maggie Barry opened the bookshop aspect, as chair of the New Zealand Book
Council, and we wish her all the best with her new role. She was absolutely
lovely and but did mention some disappointment as to not being able to cut the
ribbon with her gardening shears.

Opening the art exhibition and the art portion of the shop was Sir Frank
Holmes. A friend to the gallery over many years, he was utterly charming and we
were privedged to have both him and Maggie Barry on the night.

I would also like to thank those people who came and gave talks and
demonstrations over the weekend, and our staff who were already exhausted
helping with activities like making mini books and setting up other activities
and even games.

Fleur Beale, local children's author and much adored by many of the local
children.

Mary McCallum, book reviewer for "nine to noon" and "good morning" for her "hot
picks for 2006" panel, a discussion forum of people's favourite books for 2006 -
please forgive me if I've forgotten a couple of name of people who were on the
panel, I'll try to find out - Quentin Johnson - "nine to noon" book reviewer and
Film critic & Maggie Rainey-Smith - author.
At the end of the discussion there was some talk about restarting
the "wednesday club," a fantastic idea and something we will have to look into.

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Mike Ponder, Iconic artist of "Drizabone" fame his iconic pictures have almost
become a part of the nz landscape, talked about his art, but I'm afraid I
missed that one so I'm not sure if it also included his writing or his winery.

I would also like to thank Peter Friend, prolific children's and science
fiction author (most prestigously published in Assmovs but also much published
in the school journal as well as Barbara Else's anthologies) talking about
writing for children. He made some very good points, and I was most
enlightened.

Also a thankyou to our artists Jack Register and Paul Tait, Jack for his
demonstration of watercolour technique (and I think you've got the picture so
you can make a comment on it) And Paul for, (I believe the speech was something
about his inspiration just name it becaue I didn't see it either)

And of course a thankyou to everybody who helped and everybody who came and
made it such and enjoyable ane enlightening event, I know I learnt lots and
really enjoyed myself over the two days.

RONA looks stunning, despite the fact that we only had six weeks to get things
running. There are still a few glitches but with such a big project, some
things do take longer to pull together than others so we appreciate your
patience.

We hope to see you in store soon
If you can't make it why not see all the fantastic New Zealand art and books at www.ronagallery.co.nz

Richard, Joanna, James and Alicia Ponder

The Opening Day 17June 2006 at 151 Muritai Road

Welcome to the new Rona Gallery!

Combining Fine Arts and Gallery together, check out our new swanky and sophisticated premises at 151 Muritai Road. (Just across the road from the old Gallery building).

Here are a few photos to show the fantastic opening exhibition with guests Maggie Barry and Sir Frank Holmes.

Featured Book - Forgotten Voices Of the Second World War

Adult Non-Fiction
Author: Max Arthur

A new history of World War Two in the words of the men and women who were there. A very compelling book. Follows the publication of the remarkable Forgotten Voices of the Great War.

Featured Book - The Serpents of Arakesh

Young Adult Fiction
Author: V.M. Jones

"A bad report is the least of Adam's problems. Abandoned on a doorstep twelve years ago, he has no idea who - or where - his parents are, no friends, nothing he's good at, and nowhere he really belongs.

When Adam stumbles across an entry form for a competition, his luck starts to change. It's a prize he'd give anything to win - the chance to work with software genius Quentin Quested, test-driving a top-secret breakthrough in computer game technology.

Adam enters a world he never dreamed existed. And when Quentin Quested reveals why Adam and his four companions are really there, the boundaries between fantasy and reality begin to break down.

Together, they embark on a quest to the parallel world of Karazan, where the Serpents of Arakesh stand guard over the most precious prize of all..."

The first book on the exciting and thrilling series The Karazan Quartet.

Featured Book - Buddy

Young Adult Fiction
Author: V.M. Jones

"Josh Cranford loves running, soccer, cricket - anything, as long as it's sport. Most of all, he loves to win. Just as one person stands in his way: super-jock Shane Hunter. They clash head to head in everything, and Shane always comes out best... especially where girls are concerned. Makes it feel that way, anyhow.

Then along comes an off-the-wall new teahcer and a wicked new challenge: the Energex Iron Kid Triathlon. The perfect chance to take Shane on and come out on top. Except Josh can't swim. Never has - and vowed he never would. If he's going to enter the triathlon, he'll have to overcome his fear of water..."

A fantastic first novel by V.M. Jones.

Featured Book - On Golf

Adult Fiction
Author: Timothy O'Grady

"Weather, hazards, poor co-ordination, erratic biorhythms, hangovers and an unruly mind and statistical improbability - these are just a few of the obstacles hitting a pure golf shot. On Golf is structured around a personal history - how the game dominated O'Grady's teenage years, the glorious occasion when he got to play a round with Arnold Palmer - and above all the bond, which, through golf, O'Grady shared with his father."

Featured Book - Going Postal

Young Adult Fiction
Author: Terry Pratchett

"Moist von Lipwig is a con artist and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet.

It's a tough decision.

But he's got to see that the mail gets through, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Worker's Friendly and Benevolent Society, the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer..."

Another fantastic novel under the Discworld Series not to miss.

Featured Book - The Colour Of Magic

Young Adult
Author: Terry Pratchett

"Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but looks completely different. It plays by different rules. Certainly it refuses to succumb to the quaint notion that universes are ruled by pure logic and the harmony of numbers.

But just because the Disc is different doesn't mean that somethings don't stay the same. Its very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the arrival of the first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land..."

A commerative 21st anniversary Edition of the first of the ever popular Discworld series, created by one of the funniest English authors alive.

Featured Book - Skinny Dip

Adult Fiction
Author: Carl Hiaasen

"Joey Perrone is a woman with a mission. She's just been pushed overboard from a cruise liner by Chaz, her scumbag husband, and is survived to tell the tale. But rather and reporting her husband to the police, she decides to stay dead and - with a little help from her friends and a few of Chaz's enemies - instead of getting mad, get even."

A hilarious, romantic and thought-provoking novel.

Featured Book - A Corner of A Foreign Field

Non-Fiction Adults
Author: Ramachandra Guha

Nineteenth Century England gave the world the railroad, electricity and the theory of evolution, but also football, rugby and hockey. The major team sports were all invented in one island, as were the popular racket games of badminton, table tennis and tennis...Cricket is a game played with finesse and skill and lacks the element of physical contact and occasional brutality. Guha argues that as a national sport Indian cricket has no parallel in the world...original, highly entertaining work.

Featured Book - The Golem's Eye

Young Adult Fiction
Author: Jonathan Stroud

The young magician Nathaniel is fast rising through the government ranks. His most urgent task is to put an end to the mysterious Resistance, but Kitty and her friends continue to elude him. As the pressure mounts, London is suddenly threatened by a new series of terrifying attacks. Is the Resistance - or something more dangerous? Nathaniel is forced to embark on a dangerous misson to the enemy cit of Prague, and to summon once again, the troublesome, enigmatic and quick-witted djinni, Bartimaeus.

Thrilling sequel to The Amulet of Sarmarkand

Featured Book - The Last Resort

Junior Fiction - Picture Book
Authors: Roberto Innocenti, J. Patrick Lewis

"On an afternoon like any other, an artist's imagination abruptly disappears - and never returns. His quest to recover it leads him to The Last Resort, a remote seaside hotel visited by some of the most remarkable guests. As he searches for his lost "inward eye" in this serene and mysterious place, he soon finds that he is not only one looking for something. With rich and enchanting illustrations by Roberto Innocenti and a captivating story by J. Patrick Lewis, the Last Resort is both a celebration of literature and a homage to the power of imagination"

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This is the Rona Gallery Blog advertising Books from our store. This is the first blog to say Welcome and enjoy browsing our wide selection of books from Non-Fiction New Zealand Authors, to critically acclaimed international authors.