Stylized Archives - Page 2 of 3

Pat Nielsen

1 June 2021
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Nature, Painting, Stylized, Symbolism

STRUCTURED REALITY

I made my first timid venture into the world of creating art about 20 years ago when a friend suggested I should enroll with Tony Clarke – a local art teacher who runs a very successful art school. It was there that I overcame my terror of the blank canvas and realised that I could at least draw

Under Tony’s watchful eye I learned a lot of valuable techniques and I gradually began to develop my own style. I subsequently decided I was not a group artist and went my own way. Although I am quite ambitious and competitive, I never saw art as a possible career. Also, I was totally immersed in another passion which was tutoring year 11 and 12 maths. I was self-taught and started by helping our oldest son’s friends to prepare for NCEA1. This quickly developed into a commitment and, eventually, it took up most of the late afternoons sharing my time with keeping control of a husband (who is also an artist using wood as a medium) and three young boys and two foster children.

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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.

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Wendy Leach

1 February 2021
Abstract, Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Stylized

Three years at Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University (Diploma of Fine Arts) and two years at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design (Master of Fine Arts, 1st class honours) has seen Wendy Leach through to a fine career in visual arts. She tells us her of her process and progress.

I went to Elam when I left school, then trained as a secondary teacher. I became an art teacher first, then an exhibiting artist later. In terms of a philosophy that drives my creative soul, that would be the language and understanding of the power of opposites, yin and yang. These complementary opposites - dark and light, black and white, night and day, warm and cool, storm and calm - are fundamental to my current paintings as I explore the natural elements around me.

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Melanie Corby

1 September 2020
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Ball Point Pen, Birdlife, Drawing, Ink, Kiwiana, Painting, Stylized

ZONING IN

Melanie Corby has an unusual claim to fame: her painting is the first thing people see when entering the Wellington Police HQ holding cells. “I just hope when people walk through, they’re inspired that there is hope and the world is full of colour and brightness. They can grasp a little straw of that and know they’re here for a reason and a purpose,” she said.

I used to love drawing as a child, and I had an Aunty who used to paint. She taught me to make a notebook out of recycled paper when I was about 12 years old. I filled that little notebook with 100s of drawings of cartoons and animals. I had an eye for detail and being able to look at a large image and draw it perfectly scaled down. I took art painting right up to bursary level 7th form. I wanted to do a fine arts degree when I left high school, but my parents said there was no money in art, so I trained as a primary school teacher.

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Tessa Ralston

1 January 2017
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Charcoal, Drawing, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Gouache, Illustration, Ink, Nature, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Stylized, Watercolour

INSPIRED 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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Sally-Ann Davies

1 January 2017
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Carving, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Ink, Landscape, Nature, Painting, Printing, Seascape, Stylized

Sally-Ann Davies was born in Shropshire, England and resides in Taupo. She started her journey of becoming an artist as a toddler, drawing on the newly wallpapered walls of the farmhouse she grew up in. Her favourite subject at school without doubt was art. She vividly remembers that the primary school she attended would reward you if you finished your work early, with going and playing in the craft corner. She remembers how amazing creations developed with the simple materials such as egg cartons and toilet rolls.

Her journey to becoming the esteemed artist she is today did not come with ease. A the age of 12 she had a detached retina so ended up having quite a few months off school. This meant no active play, which she says was very frustrating when you grow up on a farm with her brothers. Sally-Ann is a triplet, so you can understand the frustration she must have had, because she and her brothers normally spent their time building dens, rafts and camping by the river.

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Robert van der Touw

1 September 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Botanical, Digital, Europe, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Nature, Photography, Stylized, Symbolism

THE PASSION IN PATTERN

Robert van der Touw arrived in New Zealand in 1990 after graduating from the School of Natural medicine in Holland. He always had a strong love for the beauty of nature, even as a four year old boy when he used to wander the Dutch forest and steal flowers and plants out of people’s gardens to put in his own. The police were not amused but were very surprised at his age! “Is that Robert van der Touw” one of them laughed as he entered the room! Roger tells us more of his interest in nature and accomplishing his mission.

Shortly after my arrival here I fell in love (literally) with the native forests of New Zealand. As a practitioner of natural medicine, nature was my ‘playing ground’ and New Zealand’s pristine ancient forests could not provide for a better one. I developed a sincere desire to explore all these beautiful ‘new medicines’. As a trained classical homeopath I was lucky. Homeopathy offers effective research methods to let you explore these.

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John Dumergue

1 July 2016
Abstract, Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Collage, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Floral, Impressionism, Landscape, Mixed Media, Painting, Portraits, Stylized

BELIEVING IN BALANCE

An active family man, at age 71, John Dumergue has the balance right in his life. As a member of the oldest team in the Half Ironman in Wanaka, the swimmer being 72 and the cyclist, 82, his most important advice is believe in yourself. “This is what my running coach would say to me as I lined up for, say, an 800m race. I believe this applies to anything you do in life.”

When John was in his fifties, he spent five years training in the martial art of Kung Fu, with elements of Tai Chi. He became an instructor, enjoying the tutoring of beginners classes. He still runs regularly and counts the benefits as endless. He says art was never a career choice, it was just something he did during his spare time. Although, clearly John’s artistic abilities were part of his career choice after all, as he is also a carpenter by trade, having built his own house at the tender age of 21. Art comes in many forms and what will out, will out. Incidentally, he also has a diploma in writing. A multi-talented man. Now that he’s retired from his job as a Certified Kitchen and Bathroom Designer, he paints about four times a week.

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Wendy Naepflin

1 May 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Maori, Nature, Stylized, Weaving

ALL FLAX

When I saw some woven blades on a flax bush it ignited my curiosity. I devoured the ‘Fun with Flax’ book by Mick Pendergrast and then Ali Brown’s book on weaving flax flowers, and was completely hooked! Attending my first weaving weekend in 2010 at Pa Te Aroha Marae in Whirinaki, Hokianga, was where I first started learning traditional weaving.

It is important to me to follow Maori tikanga (protocol) in the harvesting and preparation of flax. In doing this I acknowledge the many people who have shared the gift of raranga (weaving) with me. I have been lucky to weave with some of the best who have kindly and gently mentored me along the way. Mandy Sunlight is the kaiako (teacher) and organiser of those wonderful weekends, where knowledge, great kai (food) and many a laugh are shared freely. Two highly accomplished artists, Toi te Rito Mahi and Maureen Lander, often join these weekends, proving that weaving has evolved into a serious contemporary art form.

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Ken Clark

1 May 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Digital, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Nature, Photography, Stylized

THE INDIVIDUAL ART OF MOVING IMAGES

Ken Clarke, an intelligently creative cinemetographer has always considered film and television an art form. Here he brings his vision to us, and considering his tremendously varied artistic background, we are privileged to include Ken in our pages, bringing all aspects of art into your home. Ken tells us his fascinating story.

I have a BFA(Hons) in Film from Canterbury University. I started it in 1980 and didn’t finish until last year. I have spent most of my life up till now working in the film and television industry; first as a make-up artist, then a stop-motion animator where I sculpted puppets and props and then in post-production and digital effects.

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