13 Dec 2015

Olivia Spencer Bower's discoveries

From Standing Room Only, 2:40 pm on 13 December 2015

The cover shot on a new biography about Christchurch artist Olivia Spencer Bower shows her holding a cigarette and staring right into the camera lense with a wicked smile.

For almost 60 years she painted primarily landscapes of her adopted country, always keen to experiment with materials and styles, and befriending other artists including Rita Angus and Colin McCahon. Julie King has told Olivia's story in Olivia Spencer Bower: Making Her Own Discoveries, published by Canterbury University Press.