Mark BRAUNIAS Obituary

He gave it everything. His art and career speaks of who he was. Steadfast, sensitively attuned to the colour and shape of all things - art, ideas, language, music, people and play. My most enduring memories - oranges and sunshine in the backyard in Kawhia, the Beatles, the Kinks, the Stones, Dylan and Donovan on high rotation in the studio, the staple diet of tofu and brown rice! What a beautiful life! Enjoy your well-earned rest, old friend.

I will always remember the quick wit, the questioning mind and the good times.

Gone far to soon my friend. Shocked.

Many years ago a close family friend shared their belief that an artists departure is immeasurable, because of the vast potential that will never materialize. I always treasured the infrequent and yet deeply memorable moments that were shared with Mark over the last number of years, in which he quietly regaled me with life, music and of course art stories. There was a generosity of spirit and affability to everything that Mark did, particularly his art which always allowed room for your eye to wander and mind to wonder to a dizzyingly array of places. On our last encounter it gave me great pleasure to watch him work on lithograph stone at Ilam School of Fine Arts, where he yarned about his early years discovering the power of drawing and subsequent period at the art school, it was as always insightful and left an indelible mark on me. It gives me great solace at this melancholic time to know that we filmed this interaction, so one day others can get a glimpse of this marvelous artist in full flight.

I remember long skinny legs, baggy school shorts, a mop of white hair, a gentle soul and already great art.