Ashburton Courier: January 14, 2021
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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Feedback positive for<br />
popular summer school<br />
METHVEN SUMMER SCHOOL<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>January</strong> <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
13<br />
MICK.JENSEN<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Another successful<br />
programme has beenticked<br />
off by the committee that<br />
works hard to organise the<br />
longrunning Methven<br />
Summer School.<br />
Running for over35years,<br />
this year’s summerschool<br />
offered more than 25 courses<br />
and over 200 participants.<br />
Summer school chairperson<br />
Sandy Redmond said feedback<br />
had been very positive and<br />
numbers on par with previous<br />
years.<br />
People had been veryhappy<br />
with the workshops they had<br />
taken and what had been<br />
offered.<br />
Mrs Redmond said it was not<br />
easy task to line up courses,<br />
tutors and then take entries,<br />
but positive feedback made<br />
the taskworthwhile.<br />
The organising committee of<br />
10 volunteers was made up of a<br />
mix of personalities who<br />
offered adiverse range of<br />
viewsand course suggestions.<br />
‘‘There are not too many<br />
summer schools left running<br />
thesedays,soweare proud of<br />
whatwe are able to offer.<br />
‘‘Every year likeminded<br />
people sign up to tackle<br />
courses, have fun and extend<br />
themselves, which is great to<br />
see.’’<br />
Mrs Redmond said the<br />
summer school ran at only a<br />
small profit, which covered<br />
the costs of acoordinator.<br />
‘‘We were lucky that the 2020<br />
summer school wasall<br />
wrapped up before covid hit<br />
and that we were able to go<br />
ahead as usual with this year’s<br />
programme.’’<br />
She believed the learning<br />
opportunity and convivial<br />
atmosphere at the summer<br />
school was good for mental<br />
health, especially after a<br />
challenging year.<br />
The summer school<br />
committee wasvery grateful<br />
for the support of Mount Hutt<br />
College which generously<br />
offered its facilities every<br />
year, she said.<br />
New look with chalk paint<br />
Dorie resident Carol Hayton<br />
stylishlytransformeda<br />
commode boughtfor $2, while<br />
others tackleddated mirror<br />
frames, bedsidetables,stools<br />
and drawers at achalk paint<br />
workshoprun at therecent<br />
Methven Summer School.<br />
The drab and<br />
undistinguished looking<br />
commode was bought from<br />
Wastebusters.<br />
It was cleaned and then had<br />
chalk paint and adeerdesign<br />
stencilappliedtogive it a<br />
completely new andunique<br />
look.<br />
‘‘I lovedthe process of<br />
taking anot very pretty piece<br />
of furniture and giving it new<br />
life,’’ said Mrs Hayton.<br />
The process of applying<br />
chalk paint had been<br />
explained, she had achosen a<br />
colour and had gonefor it.<br />
Addingher own stencil<br />
designhad further<br />
personalised the piece.<br />
The summerschoolcourse<br />
attracted eight students and<br />
includedSouthCanterbury<br />
resident Anne Laing who<br />
broughtalong adrab, brown<br />
reproductionVictorian mirror<br />
stand andsurround.<br />
She appliedagrey/black<br />
chalk paint andthen sealed<br />
the piece withwax to give it a<br />
Carol Hayton works on applying her stencil to the wooden<br />
commode she bought for $2.<br />
PHOTO MICK JENSEN<br />
stylishnew look.<br />
The oneday workshop was<br />
run jointly by SuzyMcPherson<br />
and Amanda Beswick.<br />
Mrs McPherson said the<br />
course was about<br />
demonstrating how youcould<br />
easily transform afamily<br />
treasure,give old furniture a<br />
new life andturn something<br />
old and dated into something<br />
stylish and shabby chic with<br />
justacoatofchalk paint.<br />
Chalk paintwas aversatile<br />
furniturepaint, neededno<br />
sanding or priming, and could<br />
be brushed on to wood, metal<br />
and laminate.<br />
Working together with chocolate are Methven residents (from left)<br />
Heather Shearer and Wendy Carter.<br />
PHOTO MICK JENSEN<br />
Chocolate heaven<br />
There was aheady smell of<br />
chocolate in the air as you<br />
walked intothe food and<br />
nutrition classroom at Mount<br />
Hutt College last week.<br />
Chef and tutor Steve Le Corre<br />
shared his passion and<br />
knowledgewith 10 enthusiastic<br />
women at achocolatemaking<br />
workshop held as part of the<br />
Methven Summer School’s <strong>2021</strong><br />
programme.<br />
Thechocolatier explained the<br />
origins and variousqualities of<br />
chocolate and demonstrated<br />
how to temper chocolate<br />
couverture.<br />
Students then got to work on<br />
coating almond florentines with<br />
chocolate, making hand coated<br />
truffles and then coating arich<br />
Watercolours tackled<br />
Local art identity Susie<br />
Millichamp sharedher skills<br />
and knowledge of watercolours<br />
at arecent twodaypainting<br />
courseinMethven.<br />
TheAlfordForestbased<br />
artist had nine students in her<br />
class and shared her ideas on<br />
composition, colourand<br />
techniques.<br />
Artists brought their own<br />
materials andpainted from two<br />
landscape photostaken in<br />
Otago and Canterburyonthe<br />
first day andthen of landscapes<br />
from Marlborough and Tasman<br />
on day two.<br />
Mrs Millichampsaidher aim<br />
was to create arelaxed<br />
environment where artists<br />
could ‘‘get in the zone’’ and<br />
work on their projects.<br />
It was her fourthtime<br />
tutoring at the Methven<br />
Summer School.<br />
Vienna torte with chocolate<br />
ganache.<br />
Mr Le Corre saidNew<br />
Zealandmade Whittaker’s<br />
chocolate was asgoodasany of<br />
the fancy european chocolate<br />
for working with.<br />
He usually usedaa<br />
combinationofmilk and dark<br />
and preferred his dark to be 62%<br />
cacao.<br />
‘‘Once you start using over<br />
72% cacao the chocolate starts<br />
to get quite bitter and loses its<br />
natural sweetness,’’ he said.<br />
Mr Le Corre has apassionfor<br />
pastry work and is atutor at Ara<br />
Institute in Timaru. He ran a<br />
similar chocolate class last year<br />
at the summerschool and will<br />
be back next year.<br />
Artist Susie Millichamp (at rear)<br />
watches on as Sam Jenkinson<br />
works on her watercolour.<br />
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