‘Untitled’ (Self Portrait). Oil on Panel - 800 x 1200mm.‘In The Parlour.’ Oil on Oval Panel - 600 x 500mm.a huge motivating factor, and
more importantly - realising
that for myself. I know I can
really go somewhere with my
art, but I still struggle with
confidence in what I’m doing,
and I really need to block
those thoughts out if I am
really to pursue a fulltime art
career.
Once I had found an
attraction to figurative
painting, I was swiftly
introduced to Lucian Freud,
an incredible British figurative
painter whose nude works
are both unabashedly blunt
yet have such a raw beauty
to them. I still like to go
through my books every now
and then and study every
stroke of colour or fall for a
certain painting all over again.
Working alongside art books
at my work also opens up my
eyes to unlimited artists of all
genres, from contemporary to
old masters. I am constantly
scribbling down names on
paper to research later.
Art Awards
I have been focusing on
entering art awards and
competitions so far this year,
which is great for getting my
art seen by new and larger
audiences around the country.
Competitions are like lotteries
though and I have to remind
myself that if I am not selected
it’s just part of the game. It
can’t be taken personally
although it is easy to ‘have
your biscuit broken’ if you had
high hopes for getting selected.
I have always found homes
for entries that have not made
‘the cut’, which is a positive
reminder. I have also been
creating a new series of work,
which I am excited about.
It’s a little bit different to my
previous paintings and I am
enjoying being able to explore
ideas that are affecting our
society today or that people
thought previously were a
little too ‘taboo’. I think New
Zealand is still very shy when