Nestled in a quiet stream with uprooted trees creating an enclosure, three cows drink water to cool down on a hot day. William Watkins has provided a stylised view of nature in which upturned tree roots and branches appear bone dry and bleached by years of exposure. Their translucent paleness contrasts with the surrounding trees and hillside, keeping the eye low so the cows can steal the show. The scene is so quiet it’s possible to imagine the gentle echo of water lapping against rocks.

(Endless Light, 29 June 2019 – 8 March 2020)

Read about the works by this artist in the Akaroa Museum collection.