Contemporary Art Archives - Page 3 of 3

Di Tocker

1 March 2015
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Figures, Glass, Sculpture, Symbolism

DESTINY IN GLASS

A mother of two, a successful artist in her own right, owner of Dicastglass, a successful business purveying tools and materials for all manner of glass casting, Auckland-born Di Tocker has walked the walk to get where she is today. In the story below she describes the highs and lows of life as a professional artist.

I work full time as a Cast Glass Artist and Tutor from my purpose built casting studio next to my home in Ohaupo, Waikato. Though art is part of my practice as far as form and concept, I consider myself to be more of a ‘maker’ than an artist, due to the massive fabrication process involved in the cast glass medium.

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Karen Vernon

1 January 2015
Abstract, Artists, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Mixed Media, Nature, Painting

UNDER A BENIGN SPIRIT

“My art doesn’t stand on words. What is on my canvas I sometimes can’t explain away with clever talk. It is not an intellectual process, my paintings are intuitive, and, I feel, painted under the tutelage of a benign spirit.” So says Karen Vernon whose journey into the art world began in 1993 while attending American Folk Art classes in Auckland.

Largely self-taught and without any formal art training Karen says she has been fortunate to have had the guidance of a number of “wonderful” art tutors to get to the level she is at today. “I was a student of Jayne Sprott, and attended her watercolour class for three years. It was at this point I developed a passion for art and began trying other mediums, but staying in the realms of more traditional realistic painting.

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Jan Huijbers

1 January 2015
Abstract, Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Installation, Nature, Painting, Sculpture

THE CREATIVE MIND

A history buff, a fascination for new inventions and a keen gardener. During his life-long journey to establish himself as a full-time practicing artist, Jan Huijbers has been exposed to a myriad of different styles and influences. In the article below he talks about his life long journey as an artist.

I had no formal training but was involved in art at an early age. At age 16, I was a member of an art design team creating flower structure parades, a yearly event in Zundert Holland for many years.

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Robert Rapson

1 November 2014
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Nature, Sculpture, Vehicles

FOCUS ON ROBERT RAPSON

Ceramic artist Robert Rapson, who has made the trophies for the annual Arts Access Awards for the past four years, has received one of his trophy creations: the Arts Access Artistic Achievement Award 2014.

Robert learned he was the recipient when he returned home to the Hutt Valley in late June after three months travelling in Europe and North America. The judging panel described Robert as a “clever, quirky and self-taught artist” and said the award acknowledges his “unique voice and contribution to New Zealand art.”

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Annie Lambourne

1 November 2014
Acrylic, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Contemporary Art, Driftwood, Featured Artists, Installation, Sculpture, Wire Work

PIPE DREAMS ASIDE

Annie Lambourne says she does not always love being an artist but has an inherent and absolute need to create often to the exclusion of all else. “Everything around me takes a back seat,” she says, “housework, gardening and even cooking food.” Fortunately, Annie’s family are incredibly supportive and are quite used to having to work around the creative process, and often having to dodge around the latest creation that obstructs the TV or sit next to a six foot metal man sitting next to them in the car on the journey home from school.

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Angela Murray

1 September 2014
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Expressionism, Painting

MOVING DALI

“My biggest creative highlight was selling two pieces to the same buyers and then discovering they had moved an original Dali to make room for one of my paintings, that was a real buzz!” holistic life coach and passionate acrylic artist Angela Murray pronounces.

So while Dali is hanging in a different light, Angela has no illusions of grandeur and maintains that ongoing training is a key component in her creative life. “I learned so much through many courses in Newcastle and Nottingham in the UK and Timaru, as well as a lot of self-teaching over the past 30 years,” she rationalises. Indeed, she still attends workshops to brush up on certain skills, the most recent being a weeklong course in Bali with US artist and author of ‘Brave Intuitive Painting’, Flora Bowley and 16 other artists.

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Melissa Wallace

1 September 2014
Acrylic, Artists, Birdlife, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Realism

MY LIFE IS COMPLETE

Taupo Artist Melissa Wallace has had a journey of self discovery since having a chance discussion with a fellow mother at the net ball courts just over 10 years ago.

It was the seemingly standard question of “what do you do?” that started it all. The answer was “I’m a full time artist.” That day, and an invite home for coffee while a painting was being completed for a deadline, was the beginning of Melissa’s journey, finding her way home to that which makes her life complete.

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Alan Waters

1 January 2014
Abstract, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Featured Artists, Illustration, Nature, Painting, Still-life, Surrealism, Watercolour

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Mistakes are wonderful learning tools – if one analyses the process honestly and comes out the other end more determined than ever.

This is the personal philosophy of Alan Waters who has been described as New Zealand’s answer to Rene Magritte, a Belgian painter and one of the leading figures of the Surrealist movement. In fact one of Alan’s favourite pieces of art is `Clairvoyance (Self Portrait) 1936’ by Magritte. He says this image was one of many that really excited him and started his career as a full-time artist 19 years ago.

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Sally Heritage
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