I have always had a vivid imagination, and drawing is simply a way to express that creativity. As a primary school student I was encouraged to pursue art in all of its forms, and having an artistic uncle as a mentor helped me immensely on that journey. In High School I knew that art was still something I very much enjoyed doing, and I even won an art award or two!
Fast forward to my local Polytechnic, where I studied Visual Communication. I learnt a multitude of new disciplines which rounded my skills considerably; from photography to screen-printing, I absorbed a huge amount in three years of the course, and I dabbled in Photoshop whilst creating Digital Art on computers.
This set me up to continue making images later on when I became a Digital Artist...
My Profile
I am primarily a Digital artist, however I do create in watercolour paint, ink, pencil, acrylic, and photography too! I quickly realized that Digital Art is a very efficient medium to work with, giving me many options on how to approach the client's design brief. It enables me to send back an image to the client within a short time to gain feedback, which means I can hone in on what the final image should look like.
I think that working digitally gives me huge scope with the variety of drawing and painting tools available to me, and creatively, this allows very imaginative ideas to come forth for a totally original piece of art.
My aim is to always surprise and exceed the client's expectations with a totally vibrant and unique piece of work!
The Journey
1 First ever market at Avebury House Christchurch. It was an amazing success and was an incredible boost to my confidence, as I sold many framed pieces and loads of merchandise! (6th December 2019)
2 I was really fortunate to have been called by the Art on the Quay curator, Jackie Watson, who allowed me to exhibit due to another artist bowing out with unforeseen circumstances. This was a huge opportunity for me to showcase a lot of work in a wonderful setting. When she asked how many pieces I had prepared for the upcoming exhibition, I bashfully told her I only had six! She quietly informed me that I would need around 18 works of art to fill the wall space! And so for the next month or two I furiously toiled 'til the wee small hours creating many more pieces on my computer. In the end I had 26 finished pieces to show. Of course, one of the most important artworks did not arrive at my house until the afternoon of the actual exhibition, as I had ordered printed canvases to show off my larger pieces. What a day! I then enjoyed a joyful opening night, with Jackie being the consummate professional and me being the novice artist in the spotlight!
The next day I learned that some art had already been bought by lovely onlookers, and in the following six weeks I sold many more! The large Panda and Cow image (shown) didn't sell in the exhibition, but did eventually sell in a later gallery! I learnt a great deal during this experience, and it was fun talking with the crowd during the opening night and following weeks. Another confidence booster! Having an article in the local newspaper didn't hurt either. (23rd January 2020)
3 This is a commissioned work from a mate who had something interesting in mind. He had a very specific theme when telling me his concept.
The backstory is that the little Chilly doll next to the painting has been all around the world with his family as they went on holiday.
His idea: Have Chilly riding a Pukeko somewhere in New Zealand's countryside— and that's it! The rest is history... (21st June 2020)
4 In this pic you see me, the artist, taking a break from manning my stall at "Nest" headquarters, an artist group that encouraged local artists and sculptors to create and show their work in the Nest gallery rooms. This was the time that my Panda and Cow picture was sold! During the week Nest ran craft workshops and held various skill classes while selling merchandise and many unique artworks from Nest members. This was an amazing time for me to be around fellow artists as we networked and helped one another with art and craft pieces. I had great feedback from customers who came in to have a look at our gallery, and my merchandise sold well too! Overall, a very rich learning experience made possible by all members of Nest, but especially Mel, Laura, and Belinda.
A huge thanks to all of you! (12th February 2021)
5 Another exhibition at Nest headquarters! I had three new images to sell, as well as a special collaboration project with a fellow Nest member, Belinda. The theme was "X" for inspiration, so we both decided after a brainstorming session that a treasure map with "X marks the spot" would be a fun project. I went around a few second-hand stores looking for old picture frames, and found a perfect wooden frame with gold trim on it! It is currently hanging in the Nor'Wester cafe in the town of Amberley. (9th July 2021)
6 This was my latest exhibition! Art on the Quay booked me for a second exhibition, and this time around I was prepared! I had been creating a whole new series of artworks, and I felt very confident that my skillset had improved vastly on the software I use for Digital Painting. With a spring in my step, Jackie and friends kindly helped me hang all of the artwork for "Surf 'n' Turf", and arranged the gallery perfectly. I couldn't wait for the opening night to begin! It was a great evening, with awesome feedback coming my way. More to come! (2nd December 2022)
