Blog
Search Results
-
Chasing a career in the Arts
My name is Felix Conlan, I am fifteen years old, and located in South Canterbury. In my artistic journey, I draw inspiration from pencil artist Jono Dry - his crisp and detailed imagery is incredible. I attend Mountainview High School and I have been attending art tutoring with Wayne Patrick who has worked alongside me for the last two years...
-
Artist pushing the properties and combinations of materials
I’m a Christchurch based mixed media artist interested in experimentation and pushing the properties and combinations of materials. Intuitive and process-driven, I play with a diverse range of materials from wood and metal to discarded train brake pads, lace, ash, bitumen, wax, pvc, sand, glitter and embroidery thread, not much is off limit....
-
Art and Transformation
Art has been a constant in my life since childhood. However, I never imagined that it would become my career. Instead, I got as far as pursuing a master degree in architecture and working in a field different from art for many years. As a solo immigrant living overseas, I found myself drifting away from my passion for art. Although I longed...
-
Another Year, Another Entry - Jann Lenihan
I've entered the Parkin Prize every year since its inception but have never been a selected finalist. Mad? Nah I love seeing what does get in and it lifts my game. I'll enter again this year too. I like to reuse materials as there's already enough stuff in the world without using new resources to create more. I explore ideas...
-
2019 Parkin Drawing Prize Winner - Michael Dell
Parkin Drawing Prize – winners: Where are they now? Michael’s work ‘Every Valley’ measuring 1.9 metres by 1.4 metres, a charcoal drawing on a prepared canvas stretcher, was chosen as the winner from an impressive 472 entries nationwide and 78 finalists at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts’ Academy Galleries. We caught up with...
-
A Fresh Approach to Traditional Drawing Materials
Making art for me is primarily about creating something I haven’t seen before – something that is a product of materials, surfaces, natural forces and unique manipulations. I apply the same experimental approach to both paint and traditional drawing materials, ensuring that their application is anything but traditional. My drawings are...
-
Drawing flowers fuels inspiration
Born & bred in the small town of Gore, New Zealand, Michaela has drawn since she could hold an item of creative destruction. This led to her completing a Bachelor of Applied Arts in 2013 at the Southern Institute of Technology where she focused on digital art and illustration.Since then she has been a full time Graphic Designer, in...
-
Birds in Uniform
I am an artist from Waitakere and I paint birds wearing uniforms to suit their plumage and personalities. My series "Birds in Uniform" is an ongoing collection of oil paintings first exhibited in 2009. A Kea Technician, Sparrow Guard, and a Fantail Geisha are among my artworks. I wanted to invite viewers to imagine a bird's feathers.
-
Connecting-with-‘The-Company-We-Keep’
Mella Kirkby was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand and moved to Melbourne in late 1999 to study art at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). After graduating from RMIT with a major in painting and minor in printmaking, Mella went on to work in various creative fields before returning to New Zealand and reconnecting...
-
Changing our Future
I was born in England in 1979 and started my artistic journey from the moment I could hold a pencil. While studying art in the UK my focus was on the abstract. Pieces were created to convey meaning and viewers were invited to explore their own understanding of the piece, creating a unique visual experience for each viewer. In 2001 I..
-
Art-is-in-the-blood
I work as a Portrait Artist for Te Manga Art, and live in a town called Kaikohe in the far north. I'm Maori originally from Hokianga and I am heavily influenced by the people around me. Both of my parents are Artists, one is a musician and the other a candlemaker, so I guess I'm in the family business. A lot of my work involves Ta Moko,...
-
Exploring-human-emotions-with-art
Growing up I was always creating and making art. I was first introduced to oil paint in 2000, after returning from living abroad in the UK. Once that passion for oil paint began, I started painting and exhibiting while living in Adelaide. Then returned to study and completed a diploma of Visual Arts 2006 in central Melbourne, otherwise a...
-
Reclaiming life as an artist
I originally studied art and learnt to paint with oils during my GCE A (Advanced) Level Art Painting course in England in the 1970’s. I was tutored for several years by Yorkshire Landscape Artist, Peter Brook. I had not painted since the late 1970’s until I took early retirement from a career in Information Technology,...
-
Get out of your comfort zone
As I write this, I marvel at all the things that simply fell into place, beginning with losing my job as urban developer almost three years ago in Brazil just three months after my husband also lost his … yes, unfortunately, my birth country has been facing a political and economic crisis and still has around 12 million unemployed...
-
Holding the viewers' attention
Musings on the Parkin Drawing Prize and what drawing can be, from established New Zealand still life artist Jonette Murray.
