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 I am based in Nelson, New Zealand. View Map In my art, I think I am now pushing beyond recording what is in front of me, looking for ways to improve on what, as a photograph, would be a fairly dull scene, and making it into an interesting painting. This involves questions of composition, aesthetics and colour harmony as well as the underlying drawing skills of shape and perspective. There is also the challenge of conveying to the viewer the spark of interest that inspired me to paint the scene in the painting. I mostly paint 'en plein air', working outside, responding directly to the scene in front of me. Nelson has innumerable possibilities for paintings. Mountains, rivers, the sea, harbour, boats, buildings, the list goes on. In weather unsuitable to painting outdoors I work on still life paintings in my studio. Very rarely now do I paint from photographs. They just don't seem to contain enough visual information to produce a good painting. |
I have had a career in engineering, spanning three disciplines - electronics, software and mechanical. Having done nothing in the art direction since intermediate school, I embarked on my artistic journey in 2006. In the beginning I went to night classes. I started in a drawing class. I wanted to add colour, so used water colours. From there I progressed to acrylics. I dabbled briefly with pastels and now prefer to use oils. It is an ongoing development where I have learned a lot from various tutors, courses and books. Two important tutors have been Ross Whitlock and Tony Milner. I feel I have now reached the stage where I need to go my own way. I have exhibited with Nelson Suter Art Soc., Art Group Nelson and PAPON, a group of Plein Air painters. Art Group Nelson - Queens Gardens January 2009 Art Group Nelson - Club Waimea June 2009 Art Group Nelson - Queens Gardens January 2010 Plein Air Painters of Nelson - Refinery Gallery June 2010 Art Group Nelson - Club Waimea June 2010 Art Blokes - McKee Gallery September 2010 Nelson Suter Art Soc. - Spring Exhibition October 2010 Art Group Nelson - Queens Gardens January 2011 Plein Air Painters of Nelson - Competition February 2011 Nelson Suter Art Soc. - Autumn Exhibition April 2011 Art Group Nelson - Club Waimea June 2011 Plein Air Painters of Nelson - McKee Gallery June 2011 You might not think that electronics is at all creative, but as a designer I was always figuring out how to do things, coming up with ideas to solve problems. Software development is similar, I am creating something new, something that hasn't been done before (at least by me). In my own time I have always been working with wood, making furniture and boats. Perhaps not creative in the 'thinking of ideas' sense but it has certainly developed skills of working with my hands. 
When we went to live in the UK in 1997, I needed a hobby I could do in a small space. That led me into model engineering and working with metal. Here are some results of that work. I built the mechanism for the clock as well as the case. The locomotive is a coal fired working model about 800mm long and capable of towing me and another passenger.   
But this is not creative in the artistic sense, and here I have had a real struggle. I guess that is why, to date, I have preferred painting something that is in front of me - a landscape or a still life for example. |
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