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Jenny Konz

jenny-konz-aotearoa-artistTHERAPEUTIC 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."

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Clint©

clint©-aotearoa-artistClinton 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.

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Wendy Ricketts

wendy-ricketts-aotearoa-artistCompelled 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. 

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Sally Spicer

 

sally-spicer-aotearoa-artistSally 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. 

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Freeman White

freeman-white-aotearoa-artistANSWERING 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.” 

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Tracey Coakley - Aotearoa Artist

Tracey Coakley

mug-shot-tracey-coakley-aotearoa-artistTracey 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. 

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Natalie Gelder Aotearoa Artist

Natalie Gelder

Natalie Gelder aotearoa artist

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

In 2020, Natalie Gelder was a busy, pregnant mum with a two-year-old toddler. As a result, most of her art was created at night by the light of a daylight bulb. But the journey into motherhood has also given her a wonderful new subject matter, “one that I am full of love and enthusiasm for”.

Becoming an artist, for me, has been a personal creative development process from a young age. My biggest motivator was my dad. He encouraged me in the right direction as an artist, together with building a creative and supportive family environment. I started going to fringe art association meetings in England with my Dad when I was still really young, around 12 years old. I did AS level Fine Art straight out of school, and then two years of studying at art college from 2010. 

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Larry Abreño

Larry Abreño - Aotearoa Artist

AHHHH, COFFEE!

I believe being an artist runs in my blood as I have an Uncle who is an artist. I took art seriously when I moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in 2014, as I had more time to focus on exploring art during my spare time. But honestly, doing art served as my solace and escape when I was home sick and feeling alone.

I don’t have any formal art training except for an Art Appreciation Course during my University years in the Philippines. I also joined various informal art classes while working as a teacher – this was when I discovered the art of Coffee Painting. I love using coffee because of its classical and monochromatic effect. I love the challenge of using only one colour to create meaning and evoke feelings. The biggest motivating factor for me is to be able to share my talent and skills in art and inspire others to follow their passion, especially young people. I find my inspiration through life experiences, through people I’ve met in my travels, the places I have been to, and in the beauty of nature. 

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Sue Currie - Aotearoa Artist

Sue Currie

Sue Currie - Aotearoa Artist

Sue Currie was delighted to find that a comprehensive Australian correspondence course in graphic design for three years while at high school in Christchurch was a successful background for working in art. “In those days there were few opportunities for women to be taken seriously. In Sydney, Australia, the attitude was much more positive.”

Sue also took lessons with artist and illustrator Arthur Renshaw, (a retired tutor from the NSW Polytech), twice a week for six months as well as working freelance in graphic design. After six years she returned to New Zealand to paint, attending weekend workshops with a few fellow artists.

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Tessa Ralston

tessa-ralston-aotearoa-artistINSPIRED ILLUSTRATION

I’ve come to find that art seems to always niggle it’s way back into my life, even, perhaps, when I’m trying to distance myself from it. I have no true recollection of ‘getting into art’, but like most children inherently are, I was drawn to painting and visual expression.

With my mother being a graphic designer, I was fortunate enough that she fostered my artistic energy and patiently encouraged my creativity – and amusingly, she simultaneously firmly discouraged my entering the graphic design world. I believe there is a subtle divergence that happens when artists are ‘made’, and that is when they keep drawing, painting and playing after they are no longer children.

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