Realism Archives - Page 12 of 14

Darina Cincurova

1 November 2014
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Illustration, Murals, Nature, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Seascape

THE ART OF FREEDOM

A passionate environmental artist, Darina Cincurova, hopes her art will inspire a respect and appreciation of New Zealand's diverse wildlife heritage.

Born in the Czech Republic, Darina says art has been her ‘thing’ from early childhood when she started drawing the world around her and dreamed of becoming a full time artist. Little wonder then that as a student Darina abandoned fashion design opting instead to undertake a four-year art course at a private art school in Prague as this allowed her more freedom to express herself. It is this artistic freedom that has driven and inspired Darina all her life and what she loves most about being an artist. “I cannot imagine life without it,” she says simply.

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Julia Henderson

1 November 2014
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Figures, Floral, Kiwiana, Maori, Painting, Realism, Still-life

THE DISTINCTIVE VOICE

Growing up and being schooled in the United Kingdom, Julia Henderson attended a very conservative grammar school, where art was not considered an appropriate career choice. She studied Biological Sciences and went on to do a BSc and PhD in Ecology. She still felt the urge to get involved with the arts though and after immigrating to New Zealand 25 years ago, she obsessively studied art, taking numerous classes and workshops covering all aspects of art – drawing, painting in all media, print-making, colour theory and art history including Maori and Pacific art.

After deciding to take the next step and try to make a career out of art, she began entering competitions, experiencing some success. Finally a friend convinced her to approach a gallery with her work, and to her delight and beyond her wildest dreams, Julia was offered a solo exhibition. The sell-out show, held nearly 20 years ago, cemented Julia’s ambition and she has prospered ever since.

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Beth McGill

1 November 2014
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Featured Artists, Oils, Painting, Realism

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

"The freedom of bringing something to life, whether it be a spark in the eye of a little bird or bringing something out of my head and trying to replicate nature – this is what I love about being an artist."

While Beth’s children were small and she worked part-time, she completed a Diploma with Honours at the Learning Connexion in Wellington. “This involved a lot of discipline and time juggling and although I hadn’t really done any artwork since school, I could feel the creative passion waiting in the background. Completing that diploma with honours really unlocked the doors for me.”

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Bari Duncan

1 November 2014
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Featured Artists, Floral, Landscape, Nature, Painting, Pastels, Realism, Seascape

A DRIVING FORCE

After trying various work prospects, such as clerical, retail,
bank and so on, Bari Duncan finally decided to follow her
lifelong passion. “Right from pre-school,” she reflects, “my mother couldn’t keep up with my lust for colouring-in books. I have always longed to follow my heart and get focused on my painting. I just kept pushing, struggling, learning and trying until the time was right.”

Having been dealt a number of blows on her journey, Bari reflects, “My art is everything to me, it’s who I am, a driving force. I love that it has helped me through the hardest, roughest times in my life and when it seemed everything around was crumbling, it kept me focused and positive.” On the subject of education, she has not attended art school or university.

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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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Brian Millard

1 September 2014
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Landscape, Painting, Realism, Seascape, Watercolour

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Brian Millard, who has been successfully exhibiting paintings since he was in his early twenties, won a scholarship to art school when he was eleven years old but left for a job in advertising at the age of sixteen. Since then he has successfully combined being both artist and writer.

He has been a graphic designer, an illustrator, a cartoonist, an advertising art director, a copywriter, a writer for television and radio, a TV producer, a journalist and the editor in chief of two magazines - one a sports magazine in the States. For a decade he and his partner Marilyn Palmer, also a respected watercolourist, ran their own gallery near Queenstown. They now live and paint in Auckland.

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Sam Earp

1 September 2014
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Realism, Seascape

THE CALL OF THE SEA

Despite drawing and painting landscape scenes and trees in watercolour since he was a child, a bad grade in the sixth form put Samuel Earp off pursuing a career in art and he went to university where he studied plant sciences.

Born in Guernsey, Samuel’s first job was in London. Not enjoying either London or earning much money, he took up painting again for something to do. He visited a gallery in Exeter and saw the amazing seascape by Cornish artist, Peter Cosslett.

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Colin Hoare

1 September 2014
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Figures, Illustration, Impressionism, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Seascape

FAMILY PORTRAIT

Colin Hoare enjoys painting portraits. Family members, friends and better-known faces are all fair game for this self-taught artist.

Colin likes to work from photographs, saying he does not really like doing pictures of people posing or pulling a big smile. “I like it when they are relaxed and acting naturally. I think that it is a privilege to paint a portrait of someone and try to be honest,” he says. “I draw using a light pencil and then paint with a brush. I prefer painting in oil because the paint takes longer to dry than acrylic paint; this means that I don’t have to keep remixing my paint in order to make the same colour.

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Geoffrey Cox

1 September 2014
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Drawing, Featured Artists, Figures, Pencil, Polymer Clay, Realism, Sculpture

FROM PLASTICINE TO POLYMER

Geoffrey Cox has been drawing and modelling all his life. In addition to illustrating books on wildlife and natural history Geoffrey has produced a myriad of work for museums, galleries and individual collectors.

While Geoffrey recalls making plasticine models when he was 11 years old. Things became a little more serious, while he was studying for a degree in zoology, when he was asked to make models for a prehistoric reptile display at the Auckland Museum. After this he was asked to illustrate ‘Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand,’ which was how Geoffrey’s career as a professional artist really started.

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David Foley

1 July 2014
Artists, Drawing, Featured Artists, Illustration, Ink, Painting, Realism, Seascape, Street Scenes, Vehicles, Watercolour

A LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

For much of his life David Foley worked in commercial interior design and only took up serious watercolour painting on retiring, attending various workshops in New Zealand, Italy and Australia.

“While I took an interest in drawing from a very early age I did not have any formal art training at all,” he says. He did however attend the Brixton School of Building and Architecture in the UK from 1949 - 1952 and completed a five year apprenticeship in Display and Signwriting in Hamilton.

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Sally Heritage
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