Stretched Canvas Print

Held Between Sky and Earth Healing Story by Hayley Waddington There was a time I felt torn—between grief and hope, between past and future. I painted Ranginui and Papatūānuku to reconnect with the stories of my tūpuna, and in doing so, I found myself. In this painting, Ranginui descends from the clouds, his blue skin glowing like the night sky, reaching toward Papatūānuku, who lies grounded in lush, vibrant life. Her turquoise hair blossoms with pink flowers, and the whenua grows from her body. They are separated yet still reaching for each other—still bound by aroha. Each brushstroke became a karakia. The blues whispered of tears and longing, while the greens and pinks grounded me in warmth and strength. I felt their love, their pain, and their purpose. Through painting them, I saw my own story reflected in theirs—the pain of separation, the resilience of whakapapa, and the love that endures even when broken apart. I understood my tūpuna more deeply—not just as names in a story, but as ancestors who lived, loved, and endured. Their stories are in my blood, and now, in my art. “Ko au te whenua, ko au te rangi. I am the earth; I am the sky. I carry their story in every brushstroke.”