Reverie: Contemplative Paintings from the Collection

Correspondance Sian van Dyk, curator, to B. de Lange, 2 February 2017, "It was a humble exhibition of only around ten paintings--an exercise in making connections between artists in The Dowse collection and bringing together a range of modern and contemporary pieces. Many drew from impressionism, and I wanted to interpret them in a way that I hoped members of the public would identify with. I chose Flora's work because, to me, it evoked the atmospheric morning light in a harbour setting so well."

Excerpt from Introduction by Sian van Dyk (curator), Reverie: Contemplative Paintings from the Collection exhibition catalogue:
“To be in a state of reverie is to be lost in contemplation. This selection of works from the Dowse Collection gathers together artists who meditate on the world around them through their painting.  However, rather than making perfect copies of what they see, each artist accentuates a certain quality or feeling they associate with their subject…Toss Woollaston's A Garden in Lower Hutt brings to mind a cheerful afternoon, while Flora Scale' Port of Weymouth Bay reflects a sombre English morning...In showing their own personal vision through their contemplative painting, these artists reveal the beauty and emotion that can be drawn out of day to day living.”