Smokey hues, mysterious peaks, and quirky subject matter, typify Heather Straka's landscape paintings. 'Defenders of NZ 17' is a superb example, painted with her characteristic balance of levity and darkness. Heather always invites viewers to their take their own impressions from the scene, but remnants of a boating accident, of a colonialist ship colliding with local waka, delivers a gamut of considerations. The title references a short biography of colonists "who distinguished themselves in upholding Her Majesty's supremacy in these islands", allowing for a tongue-in-cheek nod to the history of colonialism and the all-too-serious nature often associated with historical view paintings.