of awareness. It’s a connectedness, like a prayer.
I am quite sure that all creative people who find
or know this area, where time stands still, find
it hard to leave. To me it brings pure joy and
satisfies my soul. My artistic ambitions are just
to extend myself creatively as far as my capacity
will allow, and to keep adapting and learning new
things. This is the way I see my whole life though,
not just with art.
My favourite piece of equipment is the
beautiful ‘Phoenix’ (100 year old mangle
converted to printing press) that was lovingly
restored piece by piece by my friend Johnny
Mulvay in Waihi. I love it because it was built
with such care and precision. It is a beautiful
piece of craftsmanship, but one that also has an
important function in my studio. Just admiring it
inspires me, and others, to make art.Modus Operandi
How I work is a little dependent on the
materials I use, and since I use a lot of different
materials it changes each time. One thing that
is fairly consistent in the way I work is that there
is quite a mental process that takes place prior
to the commencement of the actual work. There
can be a number of ideas buzzing about for a
good long while before they actually materialise.
Finding a way to articulate an idea to myself is
really the first step. Organizing it in my own head.
I listen to a huge range of music when I’m making
art. It really depends on my mood and the type of
energy I am hoping to transfer to the surface on
any given day. The music will very often have an
effect on the colours I use and the types of marks
I make.
I have to reside in the present with my art and
try to keep it moving forward. When I look back I
am always able to see a progression of some kind.
Right now I am working on a series of encaustic
pieces. It is a fairly new area for me and so it is
a very exciting thing. I am loving it. Making my
own encaustic medium and pigments is all part
of the process and I really love that there is an
element of alchemy involved and a bit of heat and
unpredictability
Usually I don’t see anything as too much of
an obstacle. If a potential problem comes along
I just try to imagine how it can be used as an
opportunity for growth. Over time I have found
my own way of sorting out what’s important. I
have learned to work in the chaos of other people
if I have to, to block out the distractions, and be
decisive about when to stop. I quite often have
to walk away from an art work and leave it for a
while in case I destroy it. No sense in flogging a
dead horse. All things in art can be resolved later,
but in their own good time. I try not to be too
attached to what other people think of my art or
the art itself; after all art is a very subjective thing.‘The Phoenix’, built by the amazing Johnny Mulvay from Waihi.
‘Resolve’. Intaglio digital fusion - 315 x 580mm.
‘Deco Dreaming’. Intaglio print -
305 x 200mm.
‘Beach Babe’. Intaglio print -
330 x 235mm.