Maryanne Shearman

Signed, limited edition prints of 'Ōākuramatapū 3', Oil on canvas, 2022. 

Stock size: 45cm x 45cm

Image size: 41 cm x 41cm + 2cm signature etc

Bagged and shipped in cardboard tube. Care must be taken in removing the print from the tube- best to avoid handling as much as possible before framing!

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The space where land meets river has always fascinated me. Teeming with life—from tuna (eels) to nesting water birds, native plants, and tiny invertebrates—these bands of earth and water are ever-changing, shaped by floods and seasons, yet resilient.

Rivers are truth-tellers. Ōākuramatapū flows from Maunga Taranaki (Mt Taranaki), winding past ancient pā sites and through exposed, eroding farmland. It reaches this section, across from Ōkorotua Marae in Ōākura, just before meeting Te Tai o Rēhua (the Tasman Sea). Its water quality speaks honestly of the health of the whenua it has passed through.

As of August 2024, Taranaki has planted 5,385 kilometers of riparian margins—77.3% of the streambanks identified as needing vegetation—covering approximately 15,400 kilometers of waterways. This progress is thanks to the Taranaki Regional Council’s Riparian Management Programme, which has distributed over 8 million native plants. It stands as New Zealand’s largest freshwater protection initiative on private land.

Mostly though, I’m drawn to the quietness and calm of this scene. Despite its vibrant busyness, it invites us to slow down—to listen, to see, and to grow—especially in the places that often go unnoticed.