Caitlin Johnston
SELF-TAUGHT BY THE SEA By Matt Mortimer It is said that if you make a job out of what you love,…
Debbie Cleland
A PROMISE MADE
A PROMISE MADEBrought up around the Otago Harbour area of Dunedin, Debbie Cleland distinctly remembers being out on a walk one day as an 11-12 year old and coming across a gentleman who had set up his easel on the water’s edge at Carey’s Bay. She was very curious to see what he was painting, and crept up quietly to peer over his shoulder. Immediately fascinated at how the watercolour paint flowed from his brush on to the page, creating the most beautiful watery reflections, she promised herself, “One day I will paint with watercolours like this man.” Many years later she attended a weekend art class lead by Barrie White. This experience motivated her to finally start painting, fulfilling her promise, the results of which can be seen below. Debbie explains . . .
I feel like my career has just begun. Over the years there has been little time for me to pursue my passion for art, due to raising a large family of four, (and all that entails), so I have not been as productive as I would have liked. There has been no specific space for creating art, except for the kitchen table. However, I now have a designated room in our home where I can work in solitude. I will soon have a lot more time to pursue my creative side as I intend to retire in September this year. This is a huge motivating factor for me to really get stuck into producing more works.
Coral Noel Yang
Professionally trained in film production, giving her a solid foundation in visual language, storytelling, colour theory, cinematography, and lighting amongst other skills, Coral Noel Yang’s predominant painting training comes from her mother who is a premier painter in Taiwan and also from various classes she took throughout the years including a Master of Fine Arts (Cinema-Television Production) at the University of Southern California, USA and Art History at the Whitman College, USA, amongst others. She tells us about herself:
Professionally trained in film production, giving her a solid foundation in visual language, storytelling, colour theory, cinematography, and lighting amongst other skills, Coral Noel Yang’s predominant painting training comes from her mother who is a premier painter in Taiwan and also from various classes she took throughout the years including a Master of Fine Arts (Cinema-Television Production) at the University of Southern California, USA and Art History at the Whitman College, USA, amongst others. She tells us about herself:I was very fortunate to grow up in an artsy family – my Chinese dad was a professor and my Japanese mom is a painter so I grew up immersed in a strong love for arts and literature, which continues to develop. With a passion for storytelling and visual arts I chose my professional pathway as a filmmaker. After earning an MFA in Cinema-TV production from the University of Southern California I embarked on a rich creative journey involving living and traveling in different countries, directing and producing films, TV commercials and children’s television.
Cara Fotofili
LIFE BEGINS AT 60!
LIFE BEGINS AT 60!Cara Fotofili always wanted to be an artist. She recalles that art classes and drawing diagrams in science class were the only things that interested her at school. Hugely influenced by her father, also an artist, Cara became ‘distracted’ by life in general. When she turned 60, she decided it was her time now, she went to art school and studied for five years and has not looked back.
The biggest motivating factor to becoming a professional artist at this time in her life is that the creative process gives her peace, and takes her away from the conditional, habitual expectation to conform. Finally she feels free. “I work quite instinctively – a bit like how you might doodle while talking on the phone. I don’t make plans, but can see that many things that interest me are manifest in my finished work.”
Andrea Choonoo
MULTI-TALENTED SAILOR
Born in South Africa, multi-talented Andrea Choonoo immigrated to New Zealand in 2000. Here she graduated with a Fine Art and Graphic Design Degree from Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in Auckland. She went on to study honours in Screen and Media Studies at the Waikato University and worked as a graphic designer in Sydney, Australia for seven years.
After working in Australia, Andrea went on to sail around the world, capturing the beauty of life through photography and making video documentaries. “I love the outdoors, especially nature and this can be seen through my artwork. Fine art has always been a strong passion and this next venture is a huge undertaking, but also an exciting adventure.”
Debbie Lambert
INTREPID PLEIN-AIR
INTREPID PLEIN-AIRHaving taken art as a subject through school to upper education and later followed with an art major at training college, Debbie Lambert’s oil and watercolour painting journey has been largely self-taught with workshops over the years held by a number of notable New Zealand and overseas tutors.
With both parents loving painting and keen amateur artists, she was encouraged from a very early age to ‘make art’. “In my early 20s my mother paid for me to attend a Randall Froude oil painting workshop. I was hooked. Later I attended another with watercolours, and loved that too. Because I loved both mediums and the special properties of each type of paint, I have continued to learn from many different tutors and paint (and sell) in both mediums. I also have utilized my teaching training and tutored many artists through the years.”
Vanessa Owens
TAKING FLIGHT
TAKING FLIGHTCreative from an early age, Vanessa Owens always took art as a subject in college and loved it. She approached a local art gallery in her twenties called Naxos Art Exhibits in Wellington, since closed, where she exhibited her acrylic paintings successfully for three years, part time. The gallery owner was very encouraging and she had good sales which gave her a growing confidence in her painting ability and confirmed her desire to become a full-time artist.
After finishing college, Vanessa began to feel unchallenged and robotic in administrative job roles. In contrast, her painting has made her feel challenged, and the freedom has become intoxicating. “Perseverance has taught me that progress is gained in small steps, not giant leaps forward.”
Tammy Gabriel
FINDING IDENTITY
FINDING IDENTITYBy Matt Mortimer
The great Roman philosopher Cicero was credited as saying; “The face is a picture of the mind, as the eyes are its interpreter.” These words seem to resound beyond a quotation and take on a literal meaning for Albany-based portrait artist, Tammy Gabriel.
“I get inspired by photos of interesting compositions, but mostly ones that show expression on faces. My goal is to capture that expression in my painting. I love photos of interesting body compositions creating unique shapes too,” she says. “Individualism has been an area of interest to me my whole life and I am drawn towards uniqueness. I try to capture a person’s individual personality through my paintings.
Amanda Gleason
Painting en plein-air is a dream for many landscape artists. Unfortunately, the hurdles of self-consciousness and a lack of appropriate equipment often constrain us to the studio. Amanda Gleason has broken these chains and is now flying solo; loving her newfound artistic freedom.
My mother was an artist and art teacher, so I was surrounded by art all my growing years. I work full time as Practice Manager at a physio clinic, but once my children had finished high school, I had the time to pursue some formal art classes and over the last five – six years I have become increasing impassioned with my painting and drawing. I have had classes in oil painting, portrait painting (based on the old masters’ techniques), drawing and landscape painting. I have also done a number of workshops through the Howick Art Group, including life drawing and still life painting.
Rachel Barber
LOCKDOWN LIMBO REVERSED
LOCKDOWN LIMBO REVERSEDRachel Barber is an inspiration to us all. With her enthusiasm, self-discipline and drive she took the economic and psychological impact of a COVID19 lockdown job and home loss, and turned the situation around into an opportunity for artistic growth and self-employment. And what an opportunity she created! Rachel tells us about it . . .
After I left school, I studied Digital Photography at Raffles College of Design. I have always been an artist, but I always worked as well. I was in such limbo when lockdown happened, I had lost all my work overnight due to COVID and moved out of my flat the day of lockdown. So, I was really faced with the reality of a ‘blank canvas’ in my life. I just knew I wanted to paint every day, that it was my dream job and my passion. So, the biggest flex was just saying to myself – I’m going to do this thing! I came to the realisation “I literally have nothing to lose right now.