Our NCEA Art students had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Bill Hammond's Bach where he had painted on the walls.

Bill Hammond was a renowned NZ artist who lived in Lyttleton and enjoyed quiet times at his bach in Wainui.

He was part of the post-colonial Gothic movement and created a signature series of bird people which comments on conservation and social issues.

Phillipa Linton, the listing agent for the sale of Bill's Bach offered our NCEA Art students a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the work he painted on the walls of the bach.

It was wonderful to see where he did some of his painting, the unfinished drip painting on the bedroom wall and what may have been his musings and "sketches" for his bird people series.

We even got to see his palette encrusted in paint and matchsticks, dust and insects.