Grant Hudson – West Coast New Zealand Watercolourist

Grant Hudson, a New Zealand ceramic artist based near Barrytown on the South Island’s West Coast has established himself as a watercolourist.

In the late 1960’s, in New Zealand, Grant Hudson had the good fortune to find himself tucked under the wing of first one, and then another motivated female ceramicist.

Ceramics as a First Line

Margaret Milne, well-known in the nascent potting circles of 1960s Auckland was the mother of a schoolfriend. She took 17 year old Hudson with her to the studios of all the potters who were making serious names for themselves, among them, the Perrin sisters, and Chester Nealie. Hudson met John Parker through Milne and the trio shared a studio/workshop, with Hudson and Parker building their first kiln together. He met Michael Cardew when he visited, and although Len Castle was in the distance, Margaret was close to him and passed onto Hudson everything she learned from Len in the way of glaze and clay calculations. It was the equivalent of an apprenticeship.

Hudson’s grandfather, a manufacturing chemist in 1900, owned all the land leading down to the site where the Auckland Bridge was later built in the mid-1950s, and he also ran Auckland’s first apothecary. As a chemist, he invented Hudson’s Baking Powder, the patent for which was sold to Edmonds who later made it famous. ‘I think this chemistry background in the family leaned me towards enjoyment of the science of clays and glazes,’ Hudson says.

Pen and ink drawing by Grant Hudson

Having begun his working life at a manufacturing jewellers in Auckland where he made men’s gold wedding bands until it drove him crazy, Hudson went back to pottery, eventually joining 12 Potters in their upmarket Remuera shop.

Yvonne Rust, QSM, Offers a Hand

At Barry Brickell’s in 1968 he met Yvonne Rust, who was then based in Greymouth where she taught hundreds of youngsters the art of potting and clay and glaze-making. She invited Hudson to move to Greymouth to her studio at the old Stewarts Brewery, having convinced him of all the exciting projects she had running there. Hudson loved Brickell’s alternative lifestyle and the Bohemian life that seemed possible, so looking for independence, he accepted Rust’s invitation. He was to be disappointed when he discovered that many of her projects were not yet off the ground.

“I struggled financially, but Yvonne didn’t really have any answers for that. She was an idealist with no real concept of the reality of making a living from what you were thinking.”

He became a very good thrower and went on with others to found the Hokitika Craft Centre which did well for many years; well enough to raise a family on. In the mid-80s import restrictions were lifted and a flood of pottery goods annihilated the domestic ceramic market almost overnight in New Zealand but Hudson found other outlets including Several Arts in Christchruch.

Grant Hudson Moves from Ceramics to Watercolours

In 1992 his painting won the Telecom Art Award on the West Coast, but it wasn’t until 2005, that, like many ceramic artists, he moved sideways into full-time painting with a particular emphasis on en plein air watercolour and wash and ink. Today ceramics have fallen largely by the wayside in favour of his painting work.

‘I’ve worked in most drawing and painting mediums but watercolour just has that magic something. It’s a wonderful medium to work en plein air; so responsive when you’ve developed some skill and of course, no waiting for work to dry. Just pack up and move to another glorious spot. I love the spontaneity of going out for the day and diving into another world where the time just goes. I really enjoy the location and come back with a sense of satisfaction. After a while you get good at it and that makes it even better and provides the pull to keep working.’

Rugged West Coast Inspiration

Painting isn’t unusual in Hudson’s wider family. His cousin, June Black, was a well-known painter and other relatives were painting friends of C F Goldie.

He learns a great deal from the internet where sometimes Youtube provides clips of current exhibitions in some of the world’s best known galleries. ‘I’ve learnt by studying what others have done in their experimentation with all the ‘isms’ that have developed, up to the influences of today.’

Living on the rugged West Coast of New Zealand provides plenty of inspiration and Hudson enjoys interpreting the raw beauty of the landscape in his own way, saying, ‘I try to express, at my most able, what I am thinking about or what I see that has taken my fancy. If I had stayed in the city, I imagine my work would have developed in a more urban way.’

Source: Theresa Sjoquist interview with Grant Hudson

©Theresa Sjoquist