About Beginning
When I purchased my first original artwork for around $1,000, I had no idea how much it would enrich my life and home and spark a lifelong passion for art. That experience is the inspiration behind Beginning, Art by the River’s first-anniversary exhibition created especially, in part, to help new collectors take their first step with original art.
More than 30 talented artists have contributed over 70 works, with at least one by each artist priced at $1,000 or less—often well below their usual prices. Some pieces come from personal collections and haven’t been exhibited for many years, offering a rare chance to purchase incredible works at accessible levels.
For anyone considering their first original artwork—or looking to add something special—Beginning offers an inviting and meaningful way to start or continue a journey with art.
Welcome to Beginning, I hope you enjoy the exhibition.
Richard Browes, Director: Art by the River
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Preview
Exhibition Preview 6.00pm, Friday 21 November
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Opening
Exhibition Opens 10.00am, Saturday 22 November
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Exhibition Dates
22 November 2025 to 15 January 2026
She Emerges by Bernadette Ballantyne
New Work $950
Original Soft Pastel
Size 30.5cm x 30.5cm (Framed)
Aroha by Ashburn
Sold New Work $695
Hand-Carved Builders Pencils
Size 33.5cm x 34cm (Framed)
Scaffolding Vase Medium by Brendan Adams
New Work $700
Ceramic & Brass
Size 34cm (h) x 12cm (w) x 13cm (d)
Standing Tall (Gordon’s Bush Whanganui) by Pauline Allomes
Acrylic on Canvas
Size 34cm x 46 cm
Real is Beautiful by Ashburn
New Work $1,295
Hand-Carved Builders Pencils
Size 44cm x 27cm (Framed)
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by Annie McIver
Handbuilt Ceramic
On black perspex base
Size 32cm (h) x 20cm (w) x 10cm (d)
Bloom by Bernadette Ballantyne
New Work $500
Original Soft Pastel
Size 22.5cm x 27.5cm (Framed)
New Zealand Cabbage Tree ('tī kōuka') by Pauline Allomes
Metal Point: Sterling Silver, 9ct Gold, Yellow Brass, black and white paint
Size 34cm x 45cm. Framed under Museum Glass.
See Thru Bottle Turquoise by Brendan Adams
New Work $500
Ceramic
Size 54cm (h) x 22cm (w) x 12cm (d)
Huia (Part of the Tagged Series) by Sean Crawford
New Work $890
Laser-cut Huia design, steel extrusion with paint render
Size 20cm x 6.5cm diameter
Embracing Eden Print - ONE ONLY by Jana Branca
Special Exhibition Price $950 (Usually $1,500)
LTD Edition Print. Edition Size: 10. Archival Giclée Print.
Printed on 310gsm 100% Textured Cotton Rag Paper. Actual Size of Original Work.
Hand Signed & Numbered with Certificate of Authenticity.
Size 79.5cm x 105cm (incl border)
Random Flights of Optimism 1 by Chrys Hill
New Work $550
Acrylic, Shellac and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 32.5cm x 45cm (Framed)
Hazy Peninsula by Rosemary Eagles
Special Exhibition Price $2,000 (Usually $2,500)
Acrylic on Linen mounted onto Aluminium panel
Size 125cm x 40cm
Two Heads Turquoise by Mark Dimock
Aluminium, Brass, Copper, Stainless Steel & Acrylic
(Indoor or Outdoor Display)
Size 73cm x 73cm (Framed)
The Dairy Room by Graham Downs
Sold $700
Watercolour
Size 53.5cm x 50cm (Framed)
Victory by Chrys Hill
New Work $600
Acrylic, Shellac and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 47cm x 47cm (Framed)
Spring Buds by Rosemary Eagles
Limited Edition Print (Ed of 45)
Size 59.5cm x 58.5cm (Framed)
Venetian Blue 4 by Ken Hunt
Special Exhibition Work $990
Oil on Canvas
Size 27cm x 34cm (Framed)
See Thru Bottle Blue by Brendan Adams
New Work $550
Ceramic
Size 63cm (h) x 35cm (w) x 15cm (d)
Sunlight at Midnight by Paul Hooker
Special Exhibition Work $960
Oil on Canvas
Size 45.5cm x 51cm
Random Flights of Optimism 2 by Chrys Hill
New Work $550
Acrylic, Shellac and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 32.5cm x 45cm (Framed)
West Coast Harakeke by Rosemary Eagles
Limited Edition Print (Ed of 45)
Size 59cm x 59cm (Framed)
Venetian Blue with Pumpkin by Ken Hunt
Special Exhibition Work $990
Oil on Canvas
Size 30cm x 30cm
Random Flights of Hope (diptych) by Chrys Hill
New Work $650
Acrylic, Shellac and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 54cm x 54cm (Framed)
Venetian Blue 5 by Ken Hunt
Special Exhibition Work $1,200
Oil on Canvas
Size 33cm x 27cm (Framed)
Venetian Blue with Granny Smith by Ken Hunt
Special Exhibition Work $2,290
Oil on Canvas
Size 40cm x 45cm (Framed)
Knowing (LTD Ed Print) by Jules Kesby
Special Exhibition Price $690 (Usually $790)
LTD Edition Print on Hahnemühle paper. Framed in Dark Wood, STD Glass. ONE ONLY.
Size 60cm x 45cm
Birds (Full Set) - ONE ONLY by Anna Korver
Sold Special Exhibition Price $900 (Usually $1,500)
Powder-coated aluminium pins. Full set contains 3 Large, 12 Medium, 20 Small
Sizes: small (10cm wingspan), medium (20cm wingspan), and large (40cm wingspan)
in quiet conversation i by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden
New Work $750
Gilding metal, wire, ink, paint
Size 30cm x 61cm
quiet reflection i by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden
New Work $1,140
Stainless Steel cloth, thread, gilding metal
Size 31cm x 92cm
Our Little Cove by Christian Nicolson
Special Exhibition Work $600
Acrylic on Canvas
Size 33.5cm x 33.5cm (Framed)
in quiet conversation ii by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden
New Work $750
Gilding metal, wire, ink, paint
Size 30cm x 61cm
The Not So Sexy 70s by Christian Nicolson
Special Exhibition Work $980
Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 61cm x 61cm
Taumaranui with Whanganui River by Raymond Jennings
Oil on Unstretched Canvas with vintage wooden rulers top and bottom
Size 103cm x 81cm
I have a message. Let’s start again from the beginning by Oriah Rapley
Sold New Work $450
Italian Marble
Size 6cm(h) x 20cm (w) x 9cm (d)
Fighter Planes (ratatatat) by Christian Nicolson
Special Exhibition Work $1,200
Acrylic on Board
Size 47.5cm x 61cm (Framed)
Autumn Light by Anna Nordstrom
Sold New Work $560
Linoleum on Board
Size 34cm x 34cm (Framed)
Cherry Bloom Interior by Raymond Jennings
Sold Special Exhibition Work $1,000
Oil on Canvas
Size 90cm x 74cm
Stormtroopers by Christian Nicolson
Special Exhibition Work $780
Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 40.5cm x 40.5cm
A Still Day by Anna Nordstrom
Sold New Work $560
Linoleum on Board
Size 34cm x 34cm (Framed)
From the Mountain by Dean Raybould
New Work $1,295
Acrylic on Cut-out Board
Size 45.5cm x 45.5cm
Rooting in Cars by Christian Nicolson
Sold Special Exhibition Work $1,500
Acrylic on Canvas
Size 64cm x 63cm (Framed)
Midnight Daisies by Natalie Pearce
LTD Chromagraph on Cotton Rag Paper (Edition of 20)
Size 48.5cm x 66cm (Framed UV70 Glass)
Vast Skies by Anna Nordstrom
Sold New Work $560
Linoleum on Board
Size 34cm x 34cm (Framed)
the spiral of change by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden
New Work $950
Gilding metal, wire, ink, paint
Size 40cm x 51cm
In/Under the Mountain by Dean Raybould
Sold New Work $1,000
Acrylic on Cut-out Board
Size 58cm x 29cm
Fantail (with Coprosma & Pohutukawa) by Mary E Taylor
Special Exhibition Price $1,000 (Usually $1,500)
Acrylic on Board
Size 26cm x 44cm (Framed)
Red is the colour of Passion by Natalie Pearce
LTD Chromagraph on Cotton Rag Paper (Edition of 20)
Size 66cm x 48.5cm (Framed UV70 Glass)
Embrace by Julie Whyman
Sold New Work $850
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 48cm x 60cm (Framed)
Tui (with Pohutukawa & Manuka) by Mary E Taylor
Special Exhibition Price $1,000 (Usually $1,500)
Acrylic on Board
Size 26cm x 44cm (Framed)
I'm new here, can you show me around? by Jayne Thomas
Sold New Work $650
Pan pastels, encaustic and oils
Size 45cm x 60cm (Framed)
William Tell Apple from the Mythical Fruit Series (Large) by Jo Tricker
Lampworked (Torchworked) Glass
Size 20cm diameter
Tiki Tour by Lyndy Wilson
Special Exhibition Work $950
Matchboxes and Acrylic on Canvas
Size 53.5cm x 74cm (Framed)
The River Flows through my subconscious mind by Lee-Ann Toyokawa
Oil on Canvas
Size 61cm x 61cm
The Secrets We Keep by Julie Whyman
New Work $800
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas
Size 47cm x 55.5cm (Framed)
Fruitful (Small) by Damien Hirst
Special Exhibition Price $3,000 (Usually $4,000)
Diasec-mounted giclée print in colours, 2020, on aluminium composite panel, with the artist's printed signature and stamp-numbered 3013/3308 on the publisher's label affixed verso, published by Heni Productions, London, with the original packaging.
Size 39cm x 39cm
Winter's Moon by Lyndy Wilson
Sold Special Exhibition Price $995 (Usually $1,200)
Acrylic on Canvas
Size 76cm x 76cm
HEART Key Fob: Banksy (Walled Off Hotel)
Hand-painted resin sculpture key fob. Accompanied by the original receipt from The Walled Off Hotel, with their ink stamp
Size 9cm high
After Salvador Dali Surrealist Masque
Special Exhibition Price $1,100 (Usually $1,750)
Bronze mounted to marble plinth inscribed with 'Salvador Dali' in the casting. Likely produced in the late 20th century by a licensed foundry based on Dali's designs
Size 34cm x 28cm x 9cm
Abstract by Pablo Picasso
Special Exhibition Price $700 (Usually $950)
Giclee print, pencil signed on the lower right as ‘Collection Domaine Picasso’ and has an embossed seal stamped by the Picasso Estate. Pencil numbered 66/500. Giclee on thick quality archival paper. In black frame with UV70 Glass. Comes with a certificate from the Picasso Domaine Collection.
Size 39cm x 50cm (Framed)
Taonga (Gift). 'To rest in deep emerald pools and take time to be' by Jayne Thomas
Pan pastels, encaustic and oils
Size 50cm diameter
Pistol by Roy Lichtenstein
Special Exhibition Price $750 (Usually $1,200)
Pistol (likely based on Pistol Banner 1964). Print on paper stamped ‘RL Prints Edition’, numbered 3/100 with facsimile signature.
Size 43cm x 59cm (Framed)
Ric Arango, Santa Barbara, California by Bruce Weber
Special Exhibition Price $750 (Usually $1,100)
1987 Vintage Photo Engraving. Framed with UV70 Glass. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.
Size 13” x 10” (Framed)
Le Cheval du Printemps (Horse of Spring) by Salvador Dali
Sold Special Exhibition Price $1,400 (Usually $2,200)
Limited edition lithograph bearing the plate signature of Dali. Published by Armand & Georges Israel in 1983 during Dali's lifetime and under his supervision. Printed on Velin D'arches paper in Paris. Work is referenced in The Official Catalog of the Graphic Works of Salvador Dali (Albert Fields). Custom framed and includes Certificate of Authenticity.
A pause between moments by Luke Hollis
Sold Special Exhibition Work $1,950
Oil on Board
Size 34cm x 40cm (Framed)