Nature Archives - Page 6 of 11

Ashley McDonald

1 July 2016
Acrylic, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Coloured Pencils, Drawing, Expressionism, Nature, Painting, Realism, Watercolour, Youth Art

ARTISTIC NATURE

I am a 16 year old that was born and raised in Hawera, a small town located in South Taranaki. As a child, I grew up loving nature and animals alike. I have a huge interest in the environment around me - particularly trying to make a difference in the conservation efforts around New Zealand. My favorite hobbies include photography, fishkeeping and of course, art.

My journey as an artist began around 8 months ago, when I was 15 years old. I had done a small painting, inspired by my pet Siamese Fighting Fish. I posted this painting in a few of the worldwide tropical fishkeeping forums that I am a part of, not really expecting anything from it. My notifications exploded almost immediately with people commenting on how much they enjoyed the piece.

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Theo TAS Arraj

1 July 2016
Abstract, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Graffiti, Murals, Nature, Painting, Portraits, Spray Paint, Street Art

NATURAL CONNECTION

With an eye set firmly on inclusion in the global art community, Theo “TAS” Arraj has a natural connection with art as a way to communicate how he sees the world. Having recently committed wholeheartedly to a career as an artist he finds inspiration from the world around him.

Frequently drawing from his environment, aspects of nature, music and the people which surround him inspire his passion for his artistic endeavours. TAS likes to observe other artists and their processes but is proud to say his skill comes from the practice of his craft. Likening his humble beginnings within the street art culture and graffiti to those of Mankind’s ancestors, who also wrote on walls, both tell a story in different times but draw from the same impulse to share their vision.

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Tony Clarke

1 July 2016
Acrylic, Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Birdlife, Charcoal, Drawing, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Figures, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism, Symbolism, Watercolour

CORNERSTONE SKILL

With luscious, almost glowing colour pouring out from the canvas, Tony Clarke’s work emits a sense of vibrancy making his art feel alive. The intricate texture conveys the feeling that you could reach out and touch the feather or fur.

Tony’s father was a very accomplished hobby painter and encouraged him from an early age. “He gave me a book at age 13 of Raymond Ching’s book of British Birds and took me out drawing over the weekends. I copied paintings from that book and studied originals at the International Art Centre.”

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Barbara Schaer

1 July 2016
Abstract, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Nature, Oils, Painting

SOULFUL EXPRESSION

Coming from a fairly long line of artists, Barbara Schaer is thoroughly enjoying her own ability to express herself through painting. Her grandfather was and her mother is an artist, her brother, a photographer and her sister gifted with writing. Having been self employed since age 25, she finally started painting, realising it was her ultimate path to happiness. “The joy I felt, the release and healing that came was amazing. Words cannot really describe this feeling. I can express myself through colours on canvas. I love colour, always did and now mixing and matching on canvas is just wonderful. I feel this is my path and I just love it. I have taken many different career paths, enjoyed them all, but painting takes enjoyment to a completely different level.”

As a child, Barbara always played around with colour, using watercolours on paper. Her mum would paint with watercolour, and she would try to paint the same way but after finding she was unable to get the same results, she gave up. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Barbara first encountered New Zealand when she came over as an agricultural exchange student in 1979 where she spent her time on a dairy farm, milking cows. She later immigrated to New Zealand in 1981.

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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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Robbie Graham

1 May 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Carving, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Nature, Pyrography, Resin, Sculpture, Woodturning

TURNING INSPIRATION

I have always been interested in art since I was a small boy, always drawing and inventing things out of wood. When I was living in Perth, WA, I had the opportunity to stop work and try new things. Once I discovered woodturning, that was it, I was hooked.

I find my inspiration in nature, which has a big influence in my art and living where we do by Lake Taupo, not far from native forests which are very inspirational. A number of NZ turners have been a big inspiration for me after arriving back in NZ in mid 1995, particularly Alby Hall and Rolly Munro. Being an artist is better than getting my hair cut and getting a real job! But seriously, I just love creating art, especially endeavouring to achieve the ‘nearly impossible’ with my style of art woodturning.

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Ben Woollcombe

1 May 2016
Artists, Featured Artists, Figures, Landscape, Nature, Painting, Street Scenes, Watercolour

DISTILLED INSPIRATION

After almost four years of studying Industrial design at the Wellington School of Design in the early ‘70’s, Ben Woollcombe realised industry was not such an inviting option when the alternative was that he could create things of his own fancy and have people appreciate them, even buy them. The motivation to become an artist came from being able to make his own decisions and “enjoy living by my own wit rather than swapping my time for a pittance, while manifesting someone else’s dream.” He loves being able to use his time as he pleases - fishing, entertaining friends, sailing, painting or digging the garden.

Ben always enjoyed the Geography & Biology sets during his early education through correspondence school, as they usually involved illustration of some sort. A high mark in art was his main reason for gaining school certificate.

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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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Lynn Webb

1 May 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Impressionism, Landscape, Nature, Oils, Painting

EXPLORING THE COAST

“Waves, rocks, reflections on the sand, boat sheds reflecting on the water - these are my inspiration,” says Lynn Webb, oil and watercolour artist from Tauranga. “Having grown up in the small untouched coastal settlement of Tongaporutu, within the crumbling cliffs and the black reflecting sand amongst the waves and rocks, fills me with an exciting inspiration to capture the many moods of the coast, the sea and the never ending procession of breaking waves.”

Not having had any formal training, Lynn says she has been creative since she was little. “Even as a child I loved to draw. I guess as the years have gone on the urge to paint became stronger and so it began.” Inspired by the likes of Richard Robinson and John Crump, Lynn prefers a loose style of painting, often using a palette knife to capture light and colour in her work.

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Mille Dunstall

1 March 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Drawing, Expressionism, Ink, Nature, Portraits, Watercolour, Youth Art

Born in 2000, Mille is another youth artist who is proving that this century is producing excellent artists. With one sibling, Mille’s family isn’t particularly artistic. “I’m kind of the odd one out”, she says.

Waihi College have Mille’s attendance and she has decided to take art this year, planning to get into a graphic design course in the future. From the looks of what she is producing thus far, we believe graphic design would definitely be the way for Mille to go. It might be worth Mille’s while to investigate illustration as well, a noble, well established art form.

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