Making art in Westport

8 October 2008
West Coast artist Eldin Johnson just about does it all: writing, painting, pottery, knitting, carving, rug work and tapestry.

“The only things I don’t do are leather work and bone carving because I’ve been a vegetarian since 1985,” he says.
In 2002, Eldin self-published a collection of prose and poetry called There Will Come a Time. He continues to write poetry, mainly on the beach and at home. Threaded through his poems, he says, is a theme of “peace, no weapons and vegetarians united”.

He’s also been carving a dolphin for the past few months at the Westport Activity Centre, where he spends most of his days. At the same time, he’s weaving a wool rug, which features “a dolphin and a seascape of blue, green, grey and brown”.

“I’m a Pisces so I like fish,” Eldin says. “I’d really love to swim and play with dolphins, like people did with Pelorus Jack and Opo.”

The Westport Activity Centre works with people with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities. It runs a number of activities, including an arts and crafts programme. Up to 15 people a day attend the centre, which is open five days a week.

It operates under the umbrella of Coast Care Trust. There are also similar activity centres in Greymouth, Reefton and Hokitika, all of which run arts and crafts programmes.
 
The arts and crafts programme is run every Tuesday afternoon but people are able to do their arts projects throughout the week, if they want to.

“I’ve been going to the Activity Centre for about eight years,” Eldin says. “It’s somewhere to go, to do something productive and meet other people. It also gives me the chance to make my art.” 

Along with his other creative activities, Eldin likes to draw. He says he gives away a lot of his art as presents. “Art is important. I feel like I should be using my creativity and so that’s what I do. I think if we all used our creative side more there would be less violence in the world.”

As well as pursuing his interest in the arts, Eldin works in the Activity Centre’s garden and helps deliver firewood to people’s homes.