I
have always been the kid who made
ridiculous clothes for their dolls, or
vehicles with too many flashing lights for
their action figures. When I wasn’t running
about outside like a crazed animal with my
sister I was hiding away inside a blanket tent
talking to myself about some amazing idea for
building something. Being an artist I guess is
just a certain way of thinking and using your
brain. I am a problem solver, I get a kick out of
thinking far outside the square and trying to find
solutions to the questions that need a creative
mind to solve them. Finding what visually or
verbally stimulates you to stay sane in a world
that bears so much beauty and consequently
constant destruction of that beauty.
I studied at The Learning Connexion, in
Lower Hutt, Wellington, between 2008-2012.
For the first two years I floundered between
classes and didn’t have a lot of confidence with
anything I did. I excelled in big dreams and
procrastinating about how to achieve them. It
wasn’t until the end of 2009 that a couple of
tutors saw real potential in my small painting
of a nude torso. This was a pivotal moment for
me, because although I still felt quite negative
about my own abilities, but having others see
true potential was the game changer. Figurative
painting finally gave me a direction, and the
way I timidly approached that first painting
played another important part in progressing my
skills. Starting with a looser painting technique
gave me the space to play with the paint itself
and not get caught up on creating a replica
of the image. I found the figure to be a very
forgiving subject, and this let me enjoy the
process more.
Having people around me that genuinely
believed I could have a career as an artist, was“I guess the galaxy just aligned for me that night in 1989 when I was born,”
is why Jamie Mackman thinks she became an artist. She is a young
Wellington artist who just loves the human form. We think it’s her
undeniable talent as well.‘The Difference Between a Flower and a Weed is Judgement’. Oil on canvas -
1200 x 800mm.
FIGURATIVELY
SPEAKING
By Jamie Mackman