Caitlin Johnston
SELF-TAUGHT BY THE SEA By Matt Mortimer It is said that if you make a job out of what you love,…
Pat Nielsen
STRUCTURED REALITY
STRUCTURED REALITYI made my first timid venture into the world of creating art about 20 years ago when a friend suggested I should enroll with Tony Clarke – a local art teacher who runs a very successful art school. It was there that I overcame my terror of the blank canvas and realised that I could at least draw
Under Tony’s watchful eye I learned a lot of valuable techniques and I gradually began to develop my own style. I subsequently decided I was not a group artist and went my own way. Although I am quite ambitious and competitive, I never saw art as a possible career. Also, I was totally immersed in another passion which was tutoring year 11 and 12 maths. I was self-taught and started by helping our oldest son’s friends to prepare for NCEA1. This quickly developed into a commitment and, eventually, it took up most of the late afternoons sharing my time with keeping control of a husband (who is also an artist using wood as a medium) and three young boys and two foster children.
Susannah Law
Since childhood, Susannah Law has been receiving awards for her artwork and it was always her dream to be an artist. With much encouragement from family and friends, she finally completed a Diploma in Fine Arts from Hungry Creek Art School in Puhoi.
Since childhood, Susannah Law has been receiving awards for her artwork and it was always her dream to be an artist. With much encouragement from family and friends, she finally completed a Diploma in Fine Arts from Hungry Creek Art School in Puhoi.My mother always supported me and organised private lessons for me during my teen years with my forever favourite art tutor (late) Kathleen Bartlett. Kathleen was so passionate about art and the history of art which she studied in London, she was always inspiring to me. I can remember her even now, vividly telling a story of her travels such as to murals in Greece and Turkey and other exhibits she visited, how Van Gogh’s originals move you in a way that prints never could and that paintings in their original form always have a better impact.
Lynley van Alphen
SOUL SOOTHING
SOUL SOOTHINGAlthough largely self-trained, Lynley van Alphen has done various workshops with the likes of John Crump, Ben Ho, Wayne Edgerton as well as a week-long plein air workshop with John Wilson in Alice Springs, Australia.
Always a teenage dream, and always having wanted to make a living as an artist, Lynley fondly remembers sitting on the hillside above the Tarras (Central Otago) primary school, sketching with crayon the distant Hawkdun mountain range. She has continued to paint and sketch during her free time. The sad passing of her husband, seven years ago, enabled her to take the step to pursuing her artist’s dream more fully. "He told me when we first found out his terminal diagnosis of motor neuron disease, that he’d like me to follow my art dream when he was gone. Focusing on that helped me overcome the grief that comes from losing one’s life partner."
Jenny Konz
THERAPEUTIC TALENT
THERAPEUTIC TALENTThe first time Jenny Konz picked up a pencil to draw with, was in 2009. She maintains there was never a 'plan’ to become an artist. She resorted to drawing to ease the ache in her heart from her daughter and granddaughter living so far away in America.
"I went over to America for the birth of my first grandchild as my son-in-law (GI Joe) was doing a tour in Iraq. It tore my heart in two when I had to leave this beautiful little bundle and come back home. His second tour was when she was two years old, and my daughter and granddaughter came to New Zealand for a holiday. I fell in love with this bundle of joy all over again and my heart seriously broke when they had to leave. I struggled to cope with the loss and decided to pick up a pencil and try to draw her from my favourite photo, thinking that it would be good therapy for me. I had my Aunt Margaret who lived in Christchurch who was an artist (Margaret Hudson-Ware) so I sent her my drawing for some feedback and this is what she said… "What a lovely drawing! You have caught the most important part of any drawing, which is the spirit of the work. Alex looks unsure, uncertain what is happening. Well done Jenny!!! The hair is very soft and babyish and wispy . . . good work here. Hands are a nightmare. These hands are very sweet and very young . . . good work again. (I think of them as a bunch of sausages). Lop-sided is real, too symmetrical often looks artificial - a bit of good work. Just keep going."
Fiona Newton
FINDING WHENUA
FINDING WHENUABy Matt Mortimer
Here in Aotearoa we are blessed to have an abundance of stunning natural beauty around us to inspire creative works and fire the coals of our imagination. This connection to our whenua is more than simply sightseeing or exploring to artist Fiona Newton, this began and still forms the base for much of her work today, including an approach of kaitiaki – guardianship of the land. This includes utilising discarded items she finds along the way.
"I began gathering off the coastline, finding marine waste, sea glass, sea stones and sandblasted crockery on old tile and brick, my concern was respecting the beautiful coastline (keeping it) free of rubbish. A lot of it comes from boats and people throwing waste off the cliffs," she says. "I’m very visual and notice the beauty in most simple things especially nature and our incredible Aotearoa. We have fantastic coastlines, rivers, mountains, and native bush. We are the lucky country! I see myself as an environmental artist. I work with found objects in nature in my garden art and found objects in my sculptural work, recycling and sustainable art. I began mosaicking on concrete, making garden art."
Alex Hoare
As with all artists across the board, the issue of confidence in ability is always a tenuous thing, especially when young and starting out. Alex Hoare is just such a young talented artist, who is finding out exactly how much talent he really has, both with visual and performance art. Colin Hoare, Alex’s father was featured in our September October 2014 issue, and visited us here in Whangarei around the same time, bringing his twin sons, Alex and James to introduce them. It is with great pride and pleasure that we introduce our readers to Alex, his talents and his reflections.
The only formal training for art I’ve had was in classes at school. My art class in high school was the foundation for my understanding of art and made me excited to create; it gave me a really good baseline understanding of how to apply different materials and techniques to my work to create art that looked the way I wanted it to. I remember we would experiment with so many different mediums and just have fun with creating art and I think that’s still so important to my creative process now.
Mark Daniells
EXOTIC ROOTS
Born in California, Mark Daniells grew up in the Federated States of Micronesia. While living there, his mother was a teacher and his father was a civil engineer and both were artists as well. He loved drawing during his youth and had ample time to explore the wildlife with his three brothers. Years later, after moving back to California and focusing on art, he graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Print Making. He had acquired the additional skill of being a builder which helped sustain him for many years.
During his childhood, growing up in the islands of Micronesia, Mark was instilled with a sense of awe for natural beauty. Nature is the true master of design, shapes and colour. With his island roots he eventually moved to Hawaii where he lived for close to 40 years with his wife Diane. Being an accomplished builder he finally realized his dream of being a full time artist and opened Mark Daniells Gallery in the town of Hanalei on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Larry Abreño
AHHHH, COFFEE!
I believe being an artist runs in my blood as I have an Uncle who is an artist. I took art seriously when I moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in 2014, as I had more time to focus on exploring art during my spare time. But honestly, doing art served as my solace and escape when I was home sick and feeling alone.
I don’t have any formal art training except for an Art Appreciation Course during my University years in the Philippines. I also joined various informal art classes while working as a teacher – this was when I discovered the art of Coffee Painting. I love using coffee because of its classical and monochromatic effect. I love the challenge of using only one colour to create meaning and evoke feelings. The biggest motivating factor for me is to be able to share my talent and skills in art and inspire others to follow their passion, especially young people. I find my inspiration through life experiences, through people I’ve met in my travels, the places I have been to, and in the beauty of nature.
Yasmin Yussof
GLOBAL GIRL
My name is Yasmin Yussof. I was born in Germany of Swiss-Malaysian parentage. I have been an Australian citizen, lived around the world and now, I am a permanent resident of New Zealand. Someone once called me ‘Global Girl’ as I never lived anywhere for more than two years, and was born to parents from different ends of the world.
My father was an Ambassador so I have lived in Singapore, Germany, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Iran and Rome. Travelling all over the world as a child I attended mainly international schools. From when I was young, I have always been a tactile person, never knowing I wanted to be an artist, it just happened. I always creating something, just a doodler and needing to keep my hands busy. Never thinking anything of it, just did it. If one has a calling, whatever the profession, you can’t help but go in that direction.