OUR CREATIVE SPACES: Exploring the Open Studios for MAST2026 Part 1 - Setting Out on the Trail
- Karena de Pont
- Jan 16
- 4 min read
The Mahurangi Artist Studio Trail 2026 (MAST2026) invites visitors to step inside the real working spaces of 60 artists across 33 venues, making this our largest trail yet. Over 10 days, including the three-day Waitangi Weekend, the trail stretches across Mahurangi West, Warkworth, Matakana, Omaha, Leigh and beyond. The distances between studios are part of the experience — winding coastal roads, rolling countryside and pockets of native bush offering time to reflect between creative encounters.
What makes MAST2026 special is not just the art, but the places where it is made. This year, artists have opened garages, sheds, halls, shared hubs and purpose-built studios — each one revealing something of the personality, rhythm and reality of creative life.
VENUE 3 & 4 – OPAHI BAY, MAHURANGI WEST
At Venue 3, Karena de Pont works in short, focused bursts from her home studio overlooking the garden. “My schedule doesn’t allow me to spend long periods of time in my studio like some artists and therefore my work has evolved into a process that requires short bouts of intense creativity,” she explains. In summer, she opens the large glass wall door — “which I call ‘the boot’ as it feels like I’m opening the back of the house up rather like my car boot” — creating the sense of working outdoors. Lately, audiobooks have replaced music. “I find the distraction of a story allows the work to flow easier and the need to hear the next chapter also keeps me going a little longer too.”
Nearby at Venue 4, Cherry James offers an unfiltered glimpse into the physical reality of art-making. The photo below of her well-used sink captures the mood perfectly: “This is the reality of an artist’s sink. I will have it clean by the art trail. Some of you might be clean and tidy but for me when I am creating it is not.” It’s a reminder that process often looks messy before it becomes resolved.
VENUE 7 – Warkworth
On the outskirts of Warkworth, Venue 7 is home to Janette Cervin and her husband and studio technician, Jake Kennedy. Their lifestyle block, surrounded by gardens and native bush, is a constant source of inspiration. Birdlife regularly finds its way into Janette’s work, which focuses on New Zealand flora and fauna while deliberately including both native and introduced species. Her technically layered paintings, often incorporating resin, create depth and invite what she describes as a visual “conversation in and around the paintings.”
VENUE 10 & 11 – Warkworth Township
At Venue 10, Sonia Fraser’s studio sits at the end of a garden path, a space born from necessity during Covid lockdowns. “After years of painting from a small room attached to the living area, it became clear that I needed to MOVE OUT!” she says. Preparing for her kitset studio meant months of painting boards and walls rather than canvases. “It was all worth it!” Now she has room for large works, music turned up loud, and views over the garden. “I love my new space where I can grow, thrive, create new life on a canvas, just like our garden.”
Just down the road, Venue 11 – Trail Central at Warkworth Town Hall brings together nine artists in a shared, light-filled space, complete with a Members Showcase Exhibition and a Lions Club café operating every day. For Sharlene Hasler, the real inspiration is collective. “What I find most inspiring is the other artists who share the space. They are so encouraging and supportive — I am always learning from them and love how we all grow together each year.”
VENUE 12 & 14 – Not far from Warkworth Township
Tucked down a quiet country lane at Venue 12 in Kaipara Flats, Mark Lewington and Tabea Salewski have created an eclectic, purpose-built ‘lean-to’ studio (see cover photo above). Calm, bright and inviting, it sits alongside Mark’s much more chaotic workshop. The peaceful bush views and landscaped entrance reward visitors who make the short rural drive from Warkworth township.
Further north, Venue 14 at the end of Goatley Avenue is Sandra Mather’s pottery studio — a space that has evolved over time. “My new pottery studio started its life off as an outdoor roof over our deck, then became a double garage,” she explains. Built largely from reused materials, including rose-coloured villa windows from Mt Eden, the studio is filled with warm, tinted light. “My studio is a wonderful uplifting space to be in and I love creating in it.”
Sharing the venue is guest artist Cecilia Davison of Ceci’s Clay Art, who values the shared experience. “It is easier for visitors to have access to a variety of art at one stop… and we share our different ideas and experience learning from each other.”
Looking Ahead
As December draws to a close, this first glimpse into the open studios of MAST2026 is an invitation to start imagining your own journey. The trail is entirely self-guided — there is no set route and no right or wrong order. You might choose to explore one area deeply in a single day, or link studios across the region over several scenic drives. With ten days to explore, including the long Waitangi weekend, there is time to wander, revisit favourites, and discover unexpected connections between places and practices.
Studios are generally open 10am–4pm, though days and times may vary. Visitors are encouraged to check the online map when planning their journey (see link below). A free printed trail guide will be available from cafés, retailers, libraries and information centres throughout the region from mid-January.
In January, we’ll continue the journey, sharing more artist voices and creative spaces to help you shape a trail experience that is uniquely your own.
Get ready to discover all the artists and venues available using the MAST2026 online trail map, with full details of all venues, artists, workshops, opening days and times.
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