As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Was art always something you were interested in?
I was a daydreamer, a 'could do better' child. I spent much of my time looking out the window of my tiny country school room in Glenorchy, wondering what was beyond the mountains. I wanted to travel to all the art centres of the world, see the art, and climb the Eiffel Tower. I was not a rural kid at heart. Due to high country isolation, I lived in my imagination, book characters were my best friends; colouring-in was an obsession.
Your bold, graphic approach to painting is your visual signature – how did you find this style?
My first introduction to art was in the illustrated books of Walt Disney artists, I would sit with them for hours studying their craft. Collages by Eric Carle of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, its boldness and simplicity intrigued me as it was made from materials I had on hand. Later, the collages of Picasso and Matisse heavily influenced my style. I wanted to get straight to the point, picking out the dominant colour and forms of the landscapes I was painting and assembling, which were the visual vernacular of the place.
What is the process from starting a new work to completing it?
Firstly, I draw my scenes, then create further reductive works, getting down to the essential forms. This is redrawn on a larger scale onto canvas. Thinking of the colour wheel, I chose complementary colours to create depth and high contrast in response to the sharp light of Aotearoa, with very dark shadows and bright blue skies over ochre land.
A huge moment in your artistic career was just recently showing your work in Paris – how did this opportunity come about?
I'm a big believer in manifesting what you want. I was in France in 2022 on an artist's residency at Chateau Orquevaux, when walking through the Carrousel du Louvre and thought this would be a great place to show in the retail space. I asked my French peers and soon had the contacts to make this happen. In 2024 I was attending an artist's residency in New York, afterwards, I returned to Paris and the exhibition my three works were in. It was one of those "wow" moments made even more special to be able to share it with my son and friends.
What is the most valuable lesson, experience, or bit of advice you received during your studies?
I was a blank slate when I began my studies in fine arts. The worlds of art and philosophy opened my mind and made me feel like I was not alone in my interests and thoughts. In my small town I was an oddity, only finding like-minded people in history books but that was a great feeling. Returning to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Education at UC gave me the skills to teach my skills with confidence and joy. I'm a regular educator in the Creatives in School program in NZ and an Educator for Golden Paint Products of New York, which fits perfectly with full-time creating and a lot of travel.
