My Newest Favourite Thing: Michael McCormack's oil paintings

In Michael McCormack's studio in Island Bay, fabulous pictures await you. McCormack paints beautiful pictures of the rugged Wellington coast with dingies bobbing in the waves.

I frequently run around this coastline and I feel as though I recognise every rock and promontory. I am moved by each pohutukawa, flax and toetoe. I know I am familiar with the red phone box at Karaka Bay.

There are equally excellent pictures of cityscapes with cornershops and cafes. As a visual chronicler of Wellington, McCormack captures the light perfectly and I particularly like the way he depicts the car headlights reflecting in the wet streets after rain. I can almost hear the hiss of the tyres as they slink past.

When we visited, McCormack was experimenting with light and colour. He made some daubs on his canvas, then stepped back to view the effect. I was mesmerised by the blobs and twists of paint on his pallette. I wanted to reach out and touch them. I didn't, but boy did I want to.

His paintings are for sale, at very reasonable prices. If you haven't the money or the space for one of his canvases, he puts out a great calendar and diary each year. He also sells prints on postcards of his work. It's well-worth a visit if you're ever out that way.