The late Louis Ings had a close connection with St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kihikihi.
Lois Ings’ intricately painted calico Christmas murals are continuing to add colour to her beloved church.
Lois Ings with her night Christmas mural.
St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kihikihi proudly displays the late artist’s work on their walls alongside their nativity scene and decorations.
Lois Claire Ings (nee Bethune) died last month, five days after her 90th birthday. She and husband Arthur (1929-2004) spent much of their lives in the wider Te Awamutu district – Pukeatua, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.
Welby, one their six children, said the pair had a great relationship and encouraged each other to do things out of the ordinary.
“Dad was a shearing contractor. Then they were farmers. Dad went on to write and Mum went on to do art,” Welby said. “Dad left school at 12 and Mum left Te Awamutu College at 16. They wanted us kids to get a good education, so several of us got degrees.
“At 60, Mum said ‘I’d like to get a degree too’. She went to Wintec and did the media arts degree.”
Siblings Welby and Suzanne Ings in front of one of their mother’s murals. Photo: Jesse Wood
Students had an assignment in the last year of the degree where they could do something for the community – Lois painted two murals at the church in about 2001.
Welby said they took her weeks to complete.
“Often people use overhead projectors but she sketched it all out. She was a real process person and kept notes on everything. She’d never done anything of this scale before,” he said.
Welby said his mum’s house was full of paintings.
“Full of flowers, nudes and Viking ships, she didn’t have borders with beauty.
Welby Ings, Suzanne Ings and Rev Ken Wall at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kihikihi. Photo: Jesse Wood
Lois had a close association with the Kihikihi Presbyterian church.
“We come from small intimate worlds… I know that in the last years of her life, Mum came here because this felt like home,” Welby said.
“The cup of tea and someone would make pikelets. They’d sit down and the conversation one week is a continuation of the life of everyone from the week before.
“The church operates as a kind of a family culture.
“There’s Tui Trow, who’d been a childhood friend of hers, sitting in the pew in front of her and Lewis Anderson sitting over there who we went to school with.
“It pulled one end of her life into another end of her life. I think that’s why she felt really connected here.”
Lois’ night Christmas mural. Photo: Supplied
He said places like that are important to us as humans, “because people are looking for the warmth of the human heart.”
Sister Suzanne echoed the sentiments about the church’s impact on her mum.
“She used to come home and she used to always say she felt uplifted. When she came away from church, she felt good,” Suzanne said.
Welby said his mother was glad that she moved back to Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.”
The family had always said, both to Lois and Arthur, they would never die in an institution. They’d die at home.
“Mum died at dawn and we opened the curtains in her room so she could see,” Suzanne said.
“She wasn’t here physically, but the garden that she looked out on each day was there and her family was wrapped around her.
“We went to the service and there were almost 150 people.
“We thought, because Mum was 90, that there wouldn’t be many people. It was just beautiful. Given that some people weren’t well, it was very humbling.”
Lois’ day Christmas mural. Photo: Supplied
The late Louis Ings had a close connection with St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kihikihi. Photo: Supplied
