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Carving

Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and yet soft enough for portions to be scraped away with available tools.

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Guy duToit

JOYOUS ARTISAN

Born in South Africa and now a proud New Zealand citizen, Gideon (Guy) du Toit tried woodturning as a hobby and discovered a real passion and natural talent for it. He took his passion to France, where he studied at Ecole Escoulen, a woodturning school that was created in 2012 on the will of the municipality of Aiguines to promote the unique know-how of woodturners, knowledge which is deeply embedded in the cultural heritage of the territory. Guy qualified from here as a professional production and artistic woodturner.

“Giving up everything to go to France to study full-time was very hard. Not being able to speak French and having to be immersed in the school and classes full-time was exceptionally hard.”

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Mike Brown

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FULL CIRCLE

Mike Brown, a bone carver born in Pukekohe, now living in North Taranaki, says his art flows directly from his reflections on life.  Carving has become a means of communication about what is important to him - speaking without words. “As a kid, art was important to me, but as the pressure went on at school and university, raising a family and working long hours, art became peripheral. Now, in my senior years, I have found more time and space. As a result, my desire to create has blossomed once again – I’ve gone full circle – how cool!” Mike shares his journey with us.

I am a thoughtful and reflective artist with a particular interest in people, their connections, relationships and spiritual journeys. Belonging is key. “You are never alone – you are part of something bigger than yourself.” For me there needs to be meaning to the pieces I create. I ask myself “why am I making this”? What does it mean? What is its significance? And if a commission, who is going to be wearing this? Each piece is unique in design and meaning. 

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Beatrice Carlson

EVOLVING INSPIRATION

“I have ‘a genetic fashion disorder’ with a great grandmother fine linen embroiderer, two grandmother seamstresses and a French fashion design diploma.” So says Beatrice Carlson, an interdisciplinary artist with an impressive background of training.

Since 1988, Beatrice has worked and trained in French fashion design and pattern-making. She learned printmaking at Studio One in Ponsonby, mentored by Beth Serjeant in the years 2009 - 2011.
“From 2017, my art practice has evolved to Silversmith. I have been trained at the Whau Studio by the well known Ilse Marie Erl contemporary jewellery artist in Auckland. I was also selected with 12 other NZ jewellery artists to be part of the HandShake Project 2020 - Jewellery Masterclass by the international artist Iris Eichenberg.”

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Caitlin Johnston

caitlin-johnston-aotearoa-artistSELF-TAUGHT BY THE SEA

By Matt Mortimer

It is said that if you make a job out of what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. For self-taught artist Caitlin Johnston, this saying is her reality.

Being self-taught brings forward a love of creating things, having to channel your inspiration into your work. Whether it is our surroundings or environment, our current state of mind, or our emotional state. Having to be her own teacher is clearly not something that has held Caitlin back, and she offers this advice for those thinking they have to attend a school to get better, instead instilling a solid work effort in the creative space being more advantageous.

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Rick Rubens - Aotearoa Artist

Rick Rubens

 

rick-rubens-aotearoa-artistREDESIGN REUSE RECREATE

My name is Rick Rubens. When I started creating unusual furniture from recycled materials I never dreamt it would lead to a full time career; least of all that I’d become an artist. Although I had to be persuaded that my work is art. Despite being creative all my life, having never studied in a creative field I could never come to terms with saying “I’m an artist”. I still find it difficult.

All my pieces are unique. They’re one-offs using predominately reclaimed materials, leather to steel and most important of all, wood. When referring to reclaimed materials, this will often mean an existing piece of furniture (which I call the ‘canvas’) from yesteryear, but not always. Some creations are a combination of several separate pieces of furniture, whilst other works are made from materials that have never been furniture before. 

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Yasmin Yussof

Yasmin Yussof - Aotearoa Artist

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.

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Sally-Ann Davies

Sally-Ann Davies was born in Shropshire, England and resides in Taupo. She started her journey of becoming an artist as a toddler, drawing on the newly wallpapered walls of the farmhouse she grew up in. Her favourite subject at school without doubt was art. She vividly remembers that the primary school she attended would reward you if you finished your work early, with going and playing in the craft corner. She remembers how amazing creations developed with the simple materials such as egg cartons and toilet rolls. 

Her journey to becoming the esteemed artist she is today did not come with ease. A the age of 12 she had a detached retina so ended up having quite a few months off school. This meant no active play, which she says was very frustrating when you grow up on a farm with her brothers. Sally-Ann is a triplet, so you can understand the frustration she must have had, because she and her brothers normally spent their time building dens, rafts and camping by the river. 

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Robbie Graham

Robbie Graham - aotearoa artist

TURNING INSPIRATION

I have always been interested in art since I was a small boy, always drawing and inventing things out of wood. When I was living in Perth, WA, I had the opportunity to stop work and try new things. Once I discovered woodturning, that was it, I was hooked.

I find my inspiration in nature, which has a big influence in my art and living where we do by Lake Taupo, not far from native forests which are very inspirational. A number of NZ turners have been a big inspiration for me after arriving back in NZ in mid 1995, particularly Alby Hall and Rolly Munro. Being an artist is better than getting my hair cut and getting a real job! But seriously, I just love creating art, especially endeavouring to achieve the ‘nearly impossible’ with my style of art woodturning.

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Richard Page - Aotearoa Artist

Richard Page

Richard Page - aotearoa artist

UNDER THE SKIN

New Zealand-based sculptor Richard Page aims to rival the perfection of nature in his work. Using techniques acquired through collaborations across the world, Page creates stone-based sculptures that reference or play with the physical force and beauty in organic formations. Richard’s work often combines smooth, voluminous forms with intentionally rough-cut textures, as the contrast highlights the naturalistic elements of both styles. Similarly, the raw textures hint at the process that goes into producing the more refined ones, providing a sense of time and context for the viewer.

Whether sculpting abstract, geometric pieces or more impressionistic works, Richard’s work shows a clear aquatic influence in both composition and texture. His choice of stone often corresponds to the patterns found in marine life, while the curving surfaces of his work resemble the smooth character of ocean rocks. Even in the contrast of refined and raw, or hard and smooth, the sea provides a model for Richard’s naturalistic take on erosion. Richard’s gift is the fine precision in reproducing the organic qualities that nature has to offer. 

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Andy Morrison

Andy Morrison - Aotearoa Artist

A POINT IN TIME

The NZ Artist recently visited the Mangonui Waterfront Festival where we caught up with pointillist and carver Andrew (Andy) Morrison at ‘Exhibit A’ a co-operative gallery of which he is member.

Born in England Andrew (Andy) Morrison was recruited by the New Zealand Government in January 2005 as the Railway Engineering Manager in the central North Island and for the next few years. Art, which had always been a part of his life and something he really wanted to do, played second fiddle to his career. Things have changed.

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