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Never being able to settle on an interesting career, despite having concentrated on music, sport and sketching during school, and recovering from anxiety/depression due to his mum’s early passing, Paul Coney became fascinated with nature’s beauty and complexity. As a self-taught artist, his interest saw him producing artworks from which he derived great satisfaction. Therapeutically this worked as, like the phoenix, he rose above and started selling his work through the New Zealand Fellowship of Artists. His work sold well, and this spurred him to continue on this path.

Initially Paul was interested in watercolour and this was his preferred medium for over 20 years: “The beauty and discipline required to paint with them fascinated me, coupled with the challenge of preconceiving the stages and strategies that you have to adopt to successfully complete a work, drew me to them as a medium.” The life of an artist has suited him very well, as basically he is his own boss, flexible with time. He has found that producing and working at something he is passionate about has given him a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfilment “I find my inspiration from life, beauty and what surrounds me. I subscribe to the famous English poet John Keats who said, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, – that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” If I can live and try to always be aware and mindful of the incredible and magnificent beauty that surrounds us all, I am living a worthwhile, full and satisfying life. I believe we have an enormous amount to learn from nature and beauty that is beyond anyone’s complete understanding at the moment. In many ways I find solace in nature and I guess painting it helps me to be closer to the source of that solace.” Admiring many artists, Paul mentions John Singer Sargent as a consummate, brilliant artist. “My favourite oil painter of the moment is Thomas Faed whose work I saw on a recent trip to Scotland. I admire his absolutely meticulous skills with a paintbrush and the life and light that exude from his work. I know that hundreds and hundreds of hours have gone into the creation of his paintings and he has not only produced a work of great beauty and brilliance but also left a part of himself on the canvas. Both of these artists are incredible exponents of the highest levels of painting skills and have perfected their own style, which leaves a lasting memory and a tribute to their profession.”
Visit Paul's website here.

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Helen Leigh believes that ‘self-doubt’ is a huge hindrance to many artists; always feeling on the back foot for perhaps not having a formal art education and maybe a lack of contacts. This has proved to be the obstacle in getting further in her art career. “However,” she maintains, “if you are willing to put the work and time in, you can make your mark, and pursuing this avidly, reaching out online and promoting my own work has really helped me in my art career and with sales.”

During the past six years Helen has built up an online art gallery, showcasing and selling her works. Have a look at ‘The Fascinate Gallery’, fascinategallery.business.site. She has also been part of three charity fundraising shows, for the LGBT community, Cancer Society and the Christchurch City Mission. Her upcoming solo exhibition, which is the second in over a decade, has been completely organised by herself, including setting up an ‘Event’ on Facebook for the first time too. Helen has always sketched and doodled. In her 20s, she decided to pursue the subject further, reading and trying every kind of art style she could find in her library. She practiced but found she hadn’t really gelled with any particular form and her art remained a part-time hobby. About six years ago, Helen was struck down with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and while she was housebound, as a method of escape, she delved into her past knowledge and refined what she loved into two styles: Abstract Expressionist drip painting and Surrealism. “Art was literally a lifeline for me, to be able to express myself and my feelings not only got me through my illness but has also given me an amazing creative identity – something that is all mine, that I wouldn’t trade for anything!”
See more about Helen here: Helen Leigh

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