Oils Archives - Page 5 of 10

Jamie Mackman

1 November 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Figures, Impressionism, Oils, Painting, Realism

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING

“I guess the galaxy just aligned for me that night in 1989 when I was born,” is why Jamie Mackman thinks she became an artist. She is a young Wellington artist who just loves the human form. We think it’s her undeniable talent as well.

I have always been the kid who made ridiculous clothes for their dolls, or vehicles with too many flashing lights for their action figures. When I wasn’t running about outside like a crazed animal with my sister I was hiding away inside a blanket tent talking to myself about some amazing idea for building something. Being an artist I guess is just a certain way of thinking and using your brain. I am a problem solver, I get a kick out of thinking far outside the square and trying to find solutions to the questions that need a creative mind to solve them. Finding what visually or verbally stimulates you to stay sane in a world that bears so much beauty and consequently constant destruction of that beauty.

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Roger Shanks

1 September 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Realism

HARNESSING THE BEAUTY

When Roger Shanks retired from a full time career in sheep and cattle farming, he became an artist, gaining knowledge from reading books and magazines and attending workshops with prominent Australian and New Zealand artists.

Having had no formal training, art filled a need to keep himself occupied during his retirement with the biggest motivating factor being the sense of achievement that comes from creating beautiful paintings. Roger retired at age 54. Eighteen years later, Roger is very proud of having had a private exhibition in Napier, two exhibitions in Gisborne and being a finalist in the Australian Artist magazine competition, Volume 203. He intends to continue on his artistic journey indefinitel

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Tony Clarke

1 July 2016
Acrylic, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Charcoal, Drawing, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Figures, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Symbolism, Watercolour

CORNERSTONE SKILL

With luscious, almost glowing colour pouring out from the canvas, Tony Clarke’s work emits a sense of vibrancy making his art feel alive. The intricate texture conveys the feeling that you could reach out and touch the feather or fur.

Tony’s father was a very accomplished hobby painter and encouraged him from an early age. “He gave me a book at age 13 of Raymond Ching’s book of British Birds and took me out drawing over the weekends. I copied paintings from that book and studied originals at the International Art Centre.”

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Andrew Swarbrick

1 July 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Figures, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Surrealism, Symbolism, Tattoo

THE HUMAN CONDITION

With very supportive parents constantly supplying him with art materials and encouragement, Andrew Swarbrick has overcome his physical disabilities to emerge as a very talented artist. Lucky enough to be using his talent every day as a tattoo artist, Andrew tells us his story.

I have been interested in art from a young age, and have been drawing for as long as I can remember. At age 12, I had a large operation to help alleviate some of the physical disabilities I was born with, which resulted in me being wheelchair bound for just over a year. As there wasn’t much to do in hospital in those days, my folks were constantly bringing me comic books to read. I promptly copied all of my favourite pictures from them and then pursued other artists books, which I also feverishly copied from, learning all the time. I didn’t fare well with art at school and am largely self taught. After school, I worked in various factories over the next six years or so, while trying to build a portfolio to go to university as an adult student. That portfolio landed me an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist.

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Barbara Schaer

1 July 2016
Abstract, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Nature, Oils, Painting

SOULFUL EXPRESSION

Coming from a fairly long line of artists, Barbara Schaer is thoroughly enjoying her own ability to express herself through painting. Her grandfather was and her mother is an artist, her brother, a photographer and her sister gifted with writing. Having been self employed since age 25, she finally started painting, realising it was her ultimate path to happiness. “The joy I felt, the release and healing that came was amazing. Words cannot really describe this feeling. I can express myself through colours on canvas. I love colour, always did and now mixing and matching on canvas is just wonderful. I feel this is my path and I just love it. I have taken many different career paths, enjoyed them all, but painting takes enjoyment to a completely different level.”

As a child, Barbara always played around with colour, using watercolours on paper. Her mum would paint with watercolour, and she would try to paint the same way but after finding she was unable to get the same results, she gave up. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Barbara first encountered New Zealand when she came over as an agricultural exchange student in 1979 where she spent her time on a dairy farm, milking cows. She later immigrated to New Zealand in 1981.

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Lynn Webb

1 May 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting

EXPLORING THE COAST

“Waves, rocks, reflections on the sand, boat sheds reflecting on the water - these are my inspiration,” says Lynn Webb, oil and watercolour artist from Tauranga. “Having grown up in the small untouched coastal settlement of Tongaporutu, within the crumbling cliffs and the black reflecting sand amongst the waves and rocks, fills me with an exciting inspiration to capture the many moods of the coast, the sea and the never ending procession of breaking waves.”

Not having had any formal training, Lynn says she has been creative since she was little. “Even as a child I loved to draw. I guess as the years have gone on the urge to paint became stronger and so it began.” Inspired by the likes of Richard Robinson and John Crump, Lynn prefers a loose style of painting, often using a palette knife to capture light and colour in her work.

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Ian Given

1 March 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting, Realism

FROM THE BOAT HOUSE

In 2010, after being in business for 30 years, manufacturing aluminium windows and supplying hardware, both retail and wholesale, Ian Given - a keen photographer - decided to begin painting. He signed up for lessons with Sue Dent, a recognised Tauranga artist, and has never looked back.

Spending many years looking at and enjoying other artists work, Ian always had a niggle in the back of his mind that he could paint like that if he tried. Some of the most influential artists in Ian’s artistic career include Tim Wilson for his attention to detail and the way he portrays mist and clouds, John Crump for his ability to paint plein-air on large canvases and the depth he manages to portray in his paintings and Richard Robinson for his loose brush work, the ability to control his colours and his talent with adjusting scenes to ease and balance up his composition. Preferring landscapes, seascapes, boats and architecture as his subject matter, Ian also takes commissions. Currently he is doing a commissioned painting of the Pungapunga estuary at the northern end of Whangapoua Beach. He is also working on a group of scenes of the coastal areas around the Coromandel. Both of these areas are firmly in Ian’s favourite list.

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Fran Gould

1 March 2016
Animals, Artists, Drawing, Featured Artists, Figures, Oils, Painting, Pencil, Portraits, Realism, Stylized

GRAPPLING WITH GRAPHITE

My love of being an artist started with a Folk Art course at Waimea College in Richmond. Gradually art became more important in my life. After hearing the enthusiasm from several members of the art group I had joined, regarding courses with The Correspondence School in Wellington, I decided to enrol. I met my tutor in Wellington and he was happy for me to pursue figurative work, which was and still is, my passion as an art form.

My partner had a massive heart attack and several operations later, recuperative time, along with the process of ‘just being there’ as he got his strength back had a huge effect on me physiologically. After a while I started my second year at the correspondence school. My partner by this time was well enough to model for me, so I photographed him for my work and the ideas came fast and furious. My painting fitted into my studies “the human condition”. It all turned out to be very cathartic and the finished article, at the end of the year, achieved NZCA excellence. The whole project transformed me, mainly from the stress of the previous year.

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Katrina McGettigan

1 January 2016
Acrylic, Artists, Birdlife, Featured Artists, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting, Realism

100 BIRDS IN 100 DAYS

The New Zealand Artist Magazine first met Katrina McGettigan at the Christchurch Art Show 2015, where, in awe, we watched her paintings sell like hot cakes. Katrina is an established artist in the Canterbury region. At that time she worked as a full-time pre-school and art teacher, inspiring young artists to fulfil their artistic talent. By night she spent her time painting.

Recently Katrina completed the colossal challenge of painting 100 birds in 100 days. “I had heard about the challenge and was inspired by other artists who had completed the challenge in previous years. So I thought it would be a great thing to gain a little more exposure, help with my technique and give me something to aim towards each day.”

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Nina Cook

1 January 2016
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Drawing, Expressionism, Figures, Nature, Oils, Realism, Seascape, Symbolism

ARTISTIC COMMUNICATON

Nina Cook’s artistic intent is to communicate but unfortunately, the very character traits that enables her artistic self, makes the act of self-promotion extremely uncomfortable. “I never intended to show my work, but have received such kindness and encouragement from my beautiful husband, children, friends and gallery owners. For me, art is more a vocation from which I would be delighted to earn a living.” Nina tells her story.

I completed a Bachelor of Design at Christchurch Polytechnic School of Art and Design in 2006. The drawing classes at CPIT were to a particularly high standard and an incredibly valuable learning experience. Apart from that I am self-taught.

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