Still of the Night

Hokonui Moonshine Still Artwork - A Tribute to Hokonui Moonshine | Ink Pen Drawing

Some stories come alive in the quiet of night when all you hear is leaves stirring and water flowing. Still of the Night grew from that feeling, drawn in ink and held inside a glass flask.

I created this piece for an art show in Waimumu, just outside Gore. Nearby the Hokonui Hills are known for more than their scenery because during Prohibition local families ran hidden stills among the trees. This drawing is a nod to that history and captures a secret distillery tucked into the bush.

The artwork is made with India ink and fine ink pens on A3 Fabriano watercolour paper. A dark background makes the bottle stand out and inside you will see the moon rising over the hills, a copper boiler, a man tending his drum, a creek, a barrel and tub and all the small details of a moonshine setup.

Long before this piece existed the McRae family settled here in 1872 bringing a whisky recipe from Scotland and running bush hidden stills for decades. Their Old Hokonui spirit survived police raids and Prohibition from 1902 to 1953 and grew into local legend. Today the Hokonui Moonshine Museum in Gore keeps that story alive with original stills, recordings and even the McRaes 1895 recipe sold as Old Hokonui Whisky.

I did not aim to retell every detail. I wanted to capture the mood of hush in the trees firelight under the branches and the moon watching over it all. Still of the Night refers both to moonshine and to that suspended moment when past and present meet.

The original was on display at the Waimumu Exhibition near Gore. Prints will be available soon on my online store. If you would like to know when they are ready please join my mailing list or follow me on social media.

Thank you for stepping into the shadows with me.