Portraits Archives - Page 3 of 6

Lui Peti

1 February 2021
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Digital, Nature, Painting, Portraits, Symbolism

Lui Peti’s art is surrealistic, emotive and a little quirky. His digital paintings are available to be enjoyed by everyone, with his original work sold online as affordable art prints. His hope is for people to enjoy his art as much as he enjoys creating it. With buyers already in Australia, the USA and Canada, Lui is well on his way to becoming a full-time artist.

I love being able to visualise my thoughts and being able to create art from a process of thinking. I like pushing myself to be braver and reach deeper into my psyche to explore its essence. Perfecting my craft and being surprised by my progress is very satisfying.

Catherine Dunn

1 November 2016
Abstract, Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Encaustic, Featured Artists, Figures, Impressionism, Nature, Painting, Portraits, Printing

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t make art. It has been with me from the beginning. One of my earliest memories of being given an opportunity to paint was on my first day at kindergarten. It was a momentous discovery at the time for me and I didn’t want to do anything else.

Art was always a favourite subject at school, which led me to study art fulltime in Australia. I attended Claremont School of Art in Perth, Western Australia in the early 90s and graduated after three years, majoring in Sculpture. It was a lifetime ago and a valuable experience, fraught with all the learning curves of youth of course, but definitely provided a solid base to build on, and great memories. After Art school in my 20s I meandered through the creative process a bit, mostly in a sleep deprived fog, due to the addition of a husband and children. I always tried to keep my hand in while running a busy household and raising a family and continued to exhibit in Australia and in New Zealand, but it is only now that two out of three of my children are out into the world and doing their own thing, and my husband has miraculously morphed into a fulltime Picture Framer, that I have the opportunity to really work as a fulltime artist.

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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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Andrew Swarbrick

1 July 2016
Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Contemporary Art, Expressionism, Featured Artists, Figures, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Surrealism, Symbolism, Tattoo

THE HUMAN CONDITION

With very supportive parents constantly supplying him with art materials and encouragement, Andrew Swarbrick has overcome his physical disabilities to emerge as a very talented artist. Lucky enough to be using his talent every day as a tattoo artist, Andrew tells us his story.

I have been interested in art from a young age, and have been drawing for as long as I can remember. At age 12, I had a large operation to help alleviate some of the physical disabilities I was born with, which resulted in me being wheelchair bound for just over a year. As there wasn’t much to do in hospital in those days, my folks were constantly bringing me comic books to read. I promptly copied all of my favourite pictures from them and then pursued other artists books, which I also feverishly copied from, learning all the time. I didn’t fare well with art at school and am largely self taught. After school, I worked in various factories over the next six years or so, while trying to build a portfolio to go to university as an adult student. That portfolio landed me an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist.

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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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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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Fran Gould

1 March 2016
Animals, Artists, Drawing, Featured Artists, Figures, Oils, Painting, Pencil, Portraits, Realism, Stylized

GRAPPLING WITH GRAPHITE

My love of being an artist started with a Folk Art course at Waimea College in Richmond. Gradually art became more important in my life. After hearing the enthusiasm from several members of the art group I had joined, regarding courses with The Correspondence School in Wellington, I decided to enrol. I met my tutor in Wellington and he was happy for me to pursue figurative work, which was and still is, my passion as an art form.

My partner had a massive heart attack and several operations later, recuperative time, along with the process of ‘just being there’ as he got his strength back had a huge effect on me physiologically. After a while I started my second year at the correspondence school. My partner by this time was well enough to model for me, so I photographed him for my work and the ideas came fast and furious. My painting fitted into my studies “the human condition”. It all turned out to be very cathartic and the finished article, at the end of the year, achieved NZCA excellence. The whole project transformed me, mainly from the stress of the previous year.

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Mike Greenwood

1 January 2016
Animals, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Featured Artists, Landscape, Oils, Painting, Portraits, Realism

CRIKEY! IT'S MIKE GREENWOOD

A larger than life, grumpy sweetheart with a brilliant sense of humour, Mike Greenwood started drawing and painting at the tender age of 12. In school, he was only ever interested in art and sport and has been actively pursuing these passions for 64 years.

Mike left school at 15 and played football until he retired aged 33, intending to be a full time artist. As all artists do, Mike found it hard to exist on the income from his art and decided to start his own domestic fencing business. In this business, he not only did fencing, but retaining walls, decking and landscaping, designing all jobs himself.

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Jacob Barry

1 January 2016
Acrylic, Artists, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, Drawing, Featured Artists, Figures, Oils, Portraits, Realism

BEHIND THE FACE

Jacob Barry studied art in high school, but his talents were not appreciated, he failed. How many other great icons have failed at school, yet gone onto become well known success stories? There are many. One has to wonder what it is about these situations. Jacob shares with us here.

Jacob passed all other subjects, except art. Looking at what he is doing now, it seems crazy. He received much support from his teachers and parents, thankfully, and has gone on with his art regardless. “The response I got from each painting was the motivating factor.

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