Beijing, butter and books. What’s the connection between these three words? Yulia Potts is a local artist, illustrator and teacher. She’s originally from far eastern Russia and the only thing she knew about New Zealand back then was that the butter she ate came from there.
One day she was at Beijing airport after completing a work assignment as an interpreter and there she met up with Martin from New Zealand. They got to know each other and now live together with their daughter in an old house on a rural block just out of Martinborough. From this home Yulia works as an illustrator for an American publisher of children’s books. She’s also illustrated three books by a New Zealand author, Ben Connolly, and written and illustrated one book herself called Molly’s Doughnuts.
Yulia hasn’t always been an illustrator. She originally studied English at university in Russia and then used this to work as an interpreter. When she first arrived in New Zealand, she worked for a language school in Christchurch teaching English but then changed direction and studied science at Canterbury University. Although she had always drawn and painted, it was after the earthquakes that she decided to make a career out of doing it.
Yulia describes their John’s Way home as “paradise with nature all around”, Their house was originally a horse stable for the Puruatanga farm but was rebuilt into its present form in the 1950’s. There are still signs of the stable with old posts, stable door and original window frames that clearly show where they were nibbled by the horses.
Martin said he told Yulia when they were at the auction for the property “this is a big project we’re getting into you know. Not just a house.” Yulia was very happy with that. When they arrived, there were just bare paddocks around the house but they set about transforming it into a fairytale landscape. The pair have created an extensive vegetable garden with everything in very straight rows – like in a storybook. There are flower gardens and fruit trees, a peacock and peahens and many breeds of ducks and chooks wandering around the property. Everywhere, there are white picket fences, reminding Yulia of her Nana’s place back home in Russia.
Martin has built a beautiful studio for Yulia to run children’s art classes.
She says her aim with these classes is to provide children with skills to express their creativity through illustrating stories they have made up themselves.
The stories and illustrations they create are often taken from the scenes they see outside the studio. She believes that by being in a relaxing place looking out on nature they can feel free to fully express themselves, away from the pressures sometimes found at home and school.
Sometimes you might see Yulia at a local café in Martinborough getting inspiration from the scene around her or in the library with her sketch pad. Most of her art work has a strong nature theme to it and the characters and animals take on a fairytale look.
View them on her website www.myhoneyland.nz
