Artists

Gabby McKenzie is the epitome of a quintessential Kiwi fan-girl. Her great love and deep respect for New Zealand’s rich history and modern diversity has inspired her to create vibrant portrayals of our illustrious native species and landscapes. Her paintings depict various scenes; all of which include great references to our ‘Kiwiana’ culture, as well as titbits alluding to the cheeky humour of a typical New Zealander. An extremely talented artist, Gabby has afforded us a glimpse into her creative process and the inspiration behind her quirky characters.

Hailing from Otago in the picturesque South Island, Gabby was raised to appreciate the literary lessons of beloved children’s authors such as Roald Dahl and René Goscinny. She also developed a life-long passion for art. It was thanks to her uncle, a man of many talents, that she was able to cultivate and hone her unique story-telling abilities through illustration and paint. “As a child, I loved storybooks, and it was the illustrations that would really hold my attention. The stories and poetry created by Roald Dahl, as well as the Asterix and Obelix series, appealed to my wild and vivid imagination. I owe thanks to my uncle who would often babysit and take me on many adventures that shaped my view of the world, resulting in my current techniques and style. “My uncle was a creative genius who recorded music and painted billboards by hand in the days before computerised graphic design. He wrote music and poetry, sang opera, sketched illustrations, and played various musical instruments. During the school holidays, he taught me how to paint, and care for my tools, as well as to write poetry. Once, he even made me solely responsible for building a scarecrow to keep the kingfishers away from the fishpond. It was a magical time, and it created in me a strong appreciation of the arts. Today as an adult, the things that I value most are the creative teachings I discovered in those early years.” Due to these influential moments, Gabby continued to follow her artistic passions through to adulthood. Gabby’s inspiration is found in her surroundings, in New Zealand’s wildlife, as well as in the people of Aotearoa.
See more of Gabby's work here: Gabby McKenzie

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Raised in a renovated, nomadic bus traversing the pristine and often transient countryside of New Zealand, Wendy Matenga is no stranger to the great power of imagination and ingenuity. She reflects on her journey to become the artist she is today.

“Like many other artists, my childhood has greatly impacted on my creative being. My father is a very logical man and can make or fix anything with his ingrained Kiwi ingenuity, and Mum has always been a hard worker – always striving to make things look beautiful and homely, and provide the sense of stability despite our moving around so often. Whenever we ended up in the same paddock for a few months, my mum would always plant a flower garden. Once they had bloomed, we would spend hours putting them through a large press Dad had made.
“I think this is why my art has a mix of traditional and contemporary applications; I like the logic of making something look realistic, as well as the freedom of just letting go with shapes and colours. “Growing up on a bus, in a small community in Central Otago, most of my schooling was through correspondence, although I did spend my later teenage years attending Maniatoto High School. “Being an artist was a completely conscious decision. The single painting that has had more influence on me than anything else was from a Renaissance exhibition I went to as a child, and I couldn’t take my eyes off a painting of a lady in a blue dress. I learnt in that moment that you could have an emotional reaction to art; that a painting is different from a photo; and when I went home with my small postcard copy I realised that nothing beats seeing the real deal. “From then on, I had so many ways that I wanted to express myself creatively that it was almost overwhelming and, being a single mum, I didn’t have the funds to pursue them all. I did, however, try my hand at making and selling jewellery for a while, but eventually found myself becoming disinterested and it didn’t stick. I chose painting because I feel like I will never run out of inspiration and I relish every stage of the process.
Wendy Matenga

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As one half of New Zealand’s most talented and prolific power couple – alongside renowned poet, writer, and author Keith Nunes – Talulah has always been a creative force to be reckoned with; an extraordinary acrylic abstract artist whose insight, imagination and undisputed creative genius have led her to weave together brilliant splashes of colour with re-imagined elements of our natural landscape, creating timeless stories through powerful visuals that dazzle and bewitch the senses. In this issue, Talulah Lautrec-Nunes allows us a sneak peak inside her mind to discover the origins of her artistic inspirations, and the journey that has followed.

Comfortably nestled amongst the surrounding bush of Lake Rotoma – famous for the mysterious submersion of the Sunken Island, Motutara; cursed by an angry Tohunga, Te Rarau-mai-Waho, who immersed the island in the waters of the lake – Talulah revels and flourishes in her small patch of land near the lake, working furiously to wring out the many stories hidden in her environment that have been waiting anxiously to be told.
Armed with her palette knife and favourite brushes, Talulah mixes and preps an array of vibrant colours that pulse with life and potential as she eyes her recently gessoed canvas; already seeing the strokes she will make in her mind’s eye.
Talulah Lautrec-Nunes

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Hailing from Luton, Bedfordshire in the UK, Ruby Whitty has found her niche in life right here in New Zealand, surrounded by the stellar beauty of the South Island, whiling away her days creating abstract and still-life masterpieces as she strives to accomplish her dream of becoming a world renowned artist – a dream both she and her late husband have strived towards for many years.
Luton, Bedfordshire is where the phrase ‘Mad as a Hatter’ originated, due to the unsettling behaviour caused by the use of mercury salts to make felt in Bedfordshire’s once booming hat industry. Ruby could never be described as ‘Mad as a Hatter’, although she does harbour a strong artistic streak – which was sometimes equated with madness back in the early 1900’s when the phrase was coined.
As an avid science fiction fan, and unofficial tool maker’s apprentice, Ruby has always had an eye for detail as well as a profound love of painting dating back to childhood. “Growing up, I was always a bit of a loner and therefore had to find engaging activities just to fill in the time between school and sleep. Thankfully, my mother gave me a ‘Paint by Numbers’ set every Christmas, so painting became a staple in life. My elder brother was also very good at sketching while training in his profession to become a tool maker, and when he’d sit at the dining room table to practise his tech drawings, I’d often be found seated beside him, copying everything he did.”
Ruby Whitty

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From a very early age I have always been creating in some way, you could say it’s just part of my soul, part of who I am. It has always been a dream of mine to become an artist. Not all people get to live their dream as I am now. I have never had any formal training in drawing or painting. What I do now has come through trial and error and a lot of hours; some days I find myself still painting in the wee small hours having not noticed the time.
The journey I am on now started in 2015 when I was encouraged to put some of my paintings into The Big Wai Art Sale which is held annually in the Carterton Events Centre. I sold some of my paintings which lit a fire in me. If I was ever going to give my dream a chance, now was the time!
I moved to Carterton in 2013. The people of the Wairarapa are amazing with their generosity and encouragement, and the wildlife of the region has provided a wealth of inspiration and the ideal subjects for me to paint. A love of the natural world inspires my art. I am always listening and looking at what is around me. Just the other day I heard someone say ‘social butterflies’; it sparked an idea which I have since turned into a painting. I was never able to paint as much as I have before coming to the Wairarapa because of work and family commitments. Equally, a lack of confidence has been a major hurdle for me. In my head, I was just doing what I loved, I did not think it would mean anything to anyone else. I am grateful others love what I do.
Jacqueline Hocquard

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Anna Filimonova’s artistic career unexpectedly blasted off in 2017. In her first year as a professional artist, she won five awards and obtained gallery representation. This year she has been working hard preparing for her first solo exhibition in May.
When asked why she is an artist, Anna says “I paint to express myself. In each of my paintings I feel that a piece of my mind and heart flows into the scene. Every day I observe the world and then these experiences enter me and then emerge in my work.” In her ‘White Rooms’ series, each painting has various elements from her experience and imagination. “On a hot day in January I swam in peaceful Lake Pukaki. I loved the spot and got some great photos capturing the intense beauty and calmness of the lake. This moment just had to be captured in one of my paintings, so I put the photo in a room and contrasted the landscape with surreal imaginings and flying birds. I had such a feeling of freedom, and the notion that time stopped in this moment. “I believe that moments such as this create something worthwhile and beautiful for all of us. If I can capture the deepness of my emotions in the moment I think that others can recognise these feelings in themselves and understand what I am expressing.”
Anna Filimonova

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Having always had an artistic streak, I spent so much of my childhood onwards making or designing all manner of crafts. I entered the NZ Smokefree Fashion Awards and became a finalist not long after arriving back from Europe. Afterwards I produced my own brand of clothing from home for a time but found I was developing an interest in painting. I said to my husband that I might start painting when the three children leave home; he suggested that might be some time given our youngest was one year old and maybe I should start now and see what I think!
In 2004, I turned my tiny kitchen into a painting area where I was subsequently to be found for most of the day, every day. My first work was on canvas and a copy of ‘Virgin and Child’ by Jean Fouquet, 1480. I was besotted with the image, which came from an art history book I was reading at the time. This was one of only two canvas works, with all my other work being on board. In 2005, I produced a series of works based on Roman-Greek structures, followed by a series of erotica and surrealism. More recently I have focused on early New Zealand history. I am and have always been a very creative, artistic person. I haven’t looked at it as a career as such; I’m being who I am, doing what I love and painting what I want to paint. I am fortunate that my husband has encouraged me to paint full time and live my passion.
Rhonye McIlroy

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Apart from taking art at Intermediate and high school, I haven’t had any formal art training; I did however study and pass University Entrance in Art History. The first portraits I painted at the age of 16 were of The Beatles; after that I followed other paths and never continued painting as persuing an art career in those days was not an option for me. However, looking back I wish I had gone on with it. It wasn’t until I saw the movie ‘Dancing with Wolves’, 17 years later, that I decided to buy some painting gear. The movie was about the American West during the times of the persecution of the Native Americans, and I wanted to try and paint some images of these incredible people.
I started painting Native Americans on horseback, hunting, in battles and in every day life with portraits of men, women and children. All were pretty average but I just kept at it, learning from books and the odd art demo video. American western artists Frank C. McCarthy, Howard Terpning and Martin Grelle kept me inspired with their realistic paintings that oozed action and feeling.
My brother-in-law Barry Stevens was also a gifted artist who exhibited with success, and painted a brilliant mural in the Copthorne Hotel in Omapere, Hokianga. He encouraged me to paint different subject matter and to start using oils. I was a bit wary of using oil paints but I grew to appreciate the versatility of them – especially as they are easy to blend and there is plenty of time to make adjustments – although I will admit, waiting for the oils to dry can be a bit frustrating at times. I’m not a personal fan of thinning the oils with turps and prefer to use linseed oil to produce a better flow. The oil paints I mainly use are Windsor and Newton, and Daler Rowney – I’m not a connoisseur of oil paints but I do find these do the job.
Sometimes I start a portrait laying down a dark background, and without even a preliminary sketch, I start on the face; bringing the shapes and proportions on to the canvas. It is exciting to see a face gradually emerging. This is usually done as an underpainting in white and tones of grey. I find the underpainting helps me immensely with the finished result.

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