Realism Archives - Page 5 of 12

Andrea Choonoo

1 August 2021
Abstract, Acrylic, Africa, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Landscape, Nature, Painting, Realism

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.”

Subscribe Today

Debbie Lambert

1 June 2021
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Realism

INTREPID PLEIN-AIR

Having 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.”

Subscribe Today

Tammy Gabriel

1 June 2021
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Figures, Painting, Pastels, Portraits, Realism

FINDING IDENTITY

By 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.

Subscribe Today

Amanda Gleason

1 June 2021
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Drawing, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Pencil, Realism, Seascape, Still-life

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.

Subscribe Today

Jenny Konz

22 April 2021
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Figures, Painting, Pastels, Portraits, Realism

THERAPEUTIC TALENT

The first time Jenny Konz picked up a pencil to draw with, was in 2009. She maintains there was never a 'plan’ to become an artist. She resorted to drawing to ease the ache in her heart from her daughter and granddaughter living so far away in America.

"I went over to America for the birth of my first grandchild as my son-in-law (GI Joe) was doing a tour in Iraq. It tore my heart in two when I had to leave this beautiful little bundle and come back home. His second tour was when she was two years old, and my daughter and granddaughter came to New Zealand for a holiday. I fell in love with this bundle of joy all over again and my heart seriously broke when they had to leave. I struggled to cope with the loss and decided to pick up a pencil and try to draw her from my favourite photo, thinking that it would be good therapy for me. I had my Aunt Margaret who lived in Christchurch who was an artist (Margaret Hudson-Ware) so I sent her my drawing for some feedback and this is what she said… "What a lovely drawing! You have caught the most important part of any drawing, which is the spirit of the work. Alex looks unsure, uncertain what is happening. Well done Jenny!!! The hair is very soft and babyish and wispy . . . good work here. Hands are a nightmare. These hands are very sweet and very young . . . good work again. (I think of them as a bunch of sausages). Lop-sided is real, too symmetrical often looks artificial - a bit of good work. Just keep going."

Subscribe Today

Clint©

1 February 2021
Acrylic, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Painting, Realism, Stylized

Clinton Christian’s proudest moment in his artistic career was the first time he ever exhibited in a gallery, a solo show at The Mandarin Tree Gallery, Gordonton, in 2018. This was a huge success, “It was kind of a ‘coming out’ show called ‘Resolution’, many of my friends didn’t even know I could paint. Creating the new work under pressure for the show, and almost selling half my work on opening day gave me the confidence to call myself an artist.”

Born in Hamilton, Clinton, most commonly known as Clint©, achieved a Certificate in Visual Arts at the Waikato Polytechnic in 1992. He was an A+ student at art school, but realised the income from being a relatively unknown artist wasn’t going to get him on the property ladder and so he joined the building industry. He trained and worked as a draftsman, which is an occupation that allows for some sort of creativity, but not enough for him to realise his true ambition of becoming a full-time artist. “Too many straight lines,” he jokes.

Subscribe Today

Wendy Ricketts

1 February 2021
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Coloured Pencils, Drawing, Nature, Pastels, Portraits, Realism

Compelled to paint and draw animals, especially their eyes, Wendy Ricketts tells us how she uses her artistic talent to focus and calm her busy mind while producing works for commission, family and friends.

I was first inspired to draw after seeing a study of a hare by German artist Albrecht Durer. I was taken by the detail and softness of the rendition. I love the faces of animals and the detail needed to produce them. I strive to produce it, sometimes to my detriment. You can get so caught up in the detail that you forget the result you were intending to achieve. Or the mood you were trying to show in the animal. Animal faces convey so much, especially the eyes. I have always loved the natural world and have a fascination with wildlife.

Subscribe Today

Sally Spicer

1 February 2021
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Figures, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Watercolour

Sally Spicer’s portrait art is imbued with a vintage sense of drama, intrigue, and intimacy. Her pathos evoking images provoke simultaneously hopeful and wistful emotions. She recently described to us her approach to art.

The most important thing I have learned is to follow your instinct with your art. Critique from external sources is valuable, but you need to stick to your decisions if they feel right. I loved to draw from a very young age, favouring depicting people right from the start. I was really lucky to have incredibly supportive parents, who recognised my passion and helped to steer me in the right direction. My grandmother was a talented artist, as are my Dad and my aunt.

Subscribe Today

Freeman White

1 November 2020
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Seascape

ANSWERING THE CALL

Born in the Hawke’s Bay, Freeman White started drawing before he started school, and enjoyed tremendous support from his parents. While still in primary school, Freeman was entering and winning art competitions, always serious about his artwork.

In the late 90s Freeman attended Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland for a year. “Their mantra was that ‘painting is dead’, but painting was very much alive for me, so I left after a year. After that I received a scholarship to study Honours at the Learning Connexion in Wellington where I met fellow painter Sandro Kopp.”

Subscribe Today

Tracey Coakley

1 November 2020
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Figures, Hyper Realism, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism

Tracey Coakley’s narrative work explores the human emotions of mental health issues, growing up, pre-teen and understanding the transition from child to teenager and still retaining your own uniqueness. Using herself and her family as models.

“I love making art and exhibiting it. I’ve always been making art, creating and drawing, since I was a child growing up in Melbourne. I used to open-up paper shopping bags and draw murals. I had an amazing art teacher in the last two years of high school who introduced us to the world of art, not only in the classroom but also the occasional field trips from the country to city galleries and the National Gallery of Victoria and art lectures. It was always the subject I enjoyed the most and excelled in.

Subscribe Today

← Newer Posts

Older Posts →