Artists of ArikiArt.com

Anna Mecha, Oil Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Anna Mecha, Artist

Anna Mecha was born in Vietnam, the daughter of an Army Captain in the former Republic of South Vietnam. She was interested in drawing from a young age but the war and the resulting political changes adversely affected her ability to pursue an Art education. After her father was released from being held as a Prisoner of War, her family immigrated to the United States in January of 1994. Her first goal was to obtain a degree and a professional business position.

With a degree in Accounting, she currently works full-time as a Banking Credit Analyst. Now, she is seeking to fulfill her dream of becoming a professional Artist. She started her first painting class at Richland College in Fall 2006 and have since been attending several drawing and painting courses within the Dallas County Community College District. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and certified Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior College.

She currently reside in North Texas with her husband.

February 9 2008 – February 28, 2008

The oil on canvas painting “My Little Niece” was selected for Art Exhibition at the Latino Cultural Center 2600 Live Oak Street Dallas, Texas 75204.

March 19, 2008 – April 11, 2008

The oil paintings “My Little Niece” and “Cub Lake Colorado” were selected for Student Art Exhibition in the Brazos Gallery, Richland College at 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas 75243. “My Little Niece” won 1^st prize in Painting and 1^st Overall.

April 29, 2008

Awarded at the 20^th Annual Richland College Student Success Awards Ceremony and Banquet at Granville Arts Center 330 North Fifth Street, Garland, Texas. This award is an acknowledgement of accomplishment that celebrates outstanding achievement in Art.

Visit Anna Mecha's blog at http://annamecha.arikiart.com/

Dan Simoneau, Acrylic Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Dan Simoneau, Artist

About Me...I have been creating art for over 30 years. Art has always been a major part of my life. I make an attempt to work on something creative every day. I have been fortunate to have several of my pieces win awards in major juried shows and to have pieces in several collections throughout the country.

I graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 1984 with a BFA. My majors were painting, printmaking and pottery and my minor was art history focusing on architectural history. I have taught art, primarily intermediate and advanced watercolor, through school programs and privately. In 2005, I was fortunate to be selected for inclusion in Who's Who in American Art.

I am currently gallery director of the Artists Gallery, Racine, Wisconsin's only artist-run cooperative gallery. The gallery is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.

About the paintings...I want my painting to make people look closer at the beauty around them. Beauty is present in many forms. In today's fast-paced world I want people to slow down, relax and enjoy the abundance of beauty in the World.

While it appears that I paint a great deal of subject matter, I really only have one subject in all my work. The subect is light. I am fascinated by the way light affects mood and the appearance of objects, whether, they be figures, landscapes, florals, etc. Monet captured the many moods and colors of light in his work and I attempt to do the same in my own style.

All works on paper are matted in neutral acid free mats and framed under glass or plexiglas.

Visit Dan's blog at http://dansimoneau.arikiart.com/

Bryce Brown, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Bryce Brown, Artist

Bryce Brown lives and paints in Tauranga, New Zealand. His work is in private collections in New Zealand, Europe and the USA including the John Deere art collection in Moline, Illinois.

Born in Auckland in 1971, Bryce grew up in the lush Northland surrounds of Whangarei. He began to take art seriously in the mid 90s, with the outstanding beauty of the Northland area providing him with a major source of inspiration.

High passion for art became the main drive for a 12-country world tour in 1998 taking him to all the major European galleries. Again, nature and the people he observed and met in his travels provided him with ideas and artistic stimulation.

On his distinctive Euro/Polynesian figurative style, Bryce says:

I like to explore human nature and movement through my paintings. I use strong line, texture and color to accentuate human form and emotion. I have my favourite artists and although they definitely have had an influence on me, I feel I have taken just enough from history to add to the style I have now. Whilst it is hard not to be influenced by the likes of Picasso and Leonardo, an artist needs to find what it is about these greats that they love and pursue their own style with the same amount of passion as they did.

Bryce currently lives in Tauranga, New Zealand, with his wife Catherine and their girls Olivia and Brianna and their sons Henri and Oscar.

Visit Bryce Brown's blog at http://brycebrown.arikiart.com/

Makan (Max) Emadi, Painter and Sculptor

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Max Emadi, Artist

Iranian-born California Artist Max Emadi

Makan "Max" Emadi emigrated with his family to Southern California from Iran in 1979 at the age of fourteen.

While attending high school he became interested in art courses and took ceramics for four years. Following high school, he studied sculpting with Betty Davenport Ford.

Max's career took him away from art for many years. He received training and worked as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and found his second passion in the helping field. He pursued his education by completing a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in the same field.

After becoming established in his career as a psychotherapist he decided to revisit the artistic interests of his teenage-years. In the last few years, Max has participated in a number of group shows and been featured in several solo exhibitions. His paintings extend from abstract works to political art, and he also sculpts small ceramic busts.

Max Emadi has painted a wide range of works in oil including abstract paintings, portraits, and self-portraits.

He has also painted extensive bodies of work representing political figures (Terrorists and Freedom-Fighters series) and cultural celebrities (Hero Worship series).

His most controversial series comments on "hijab", the Islamic dress code, with three series to date: Islamic "Calendar Girls", Femme Fatale, and the Modesty series started in 2010.

Since 2002, Emadi has also produced small ceramic sculptures (Beautiful Monsters series).

Juan Coronado, Oil Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Juan Coronado, Artist

Born in Torrance, California, Juan Coronado is an active painter in the Southern California contemporary art scene. Juan describes his style as "abstract reflections upon my current emotions".

He was raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California and He is a graduated form American Intercontinental University in Los Angeles, from where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design.

He first became interested in painting while at design school. Part of the curriculum included art history and painting. Then after a trip to New Zealand where he met several artists and discovered a very vibrant and accessible art scene, he came back home to California fired up to paint more. These days, Juan works by day for a design firm, and by night he paints into the wee-small hours of the morning.

Initially, Juan painted primarily in acrylic, with some oil, but has since reversed that pattern, starting most of his work with thick layers of acrylic paint to establish texture and depth, and then painting over top of this foundation with oil paint. This combination of media results in paintings that are rich in both texture and color.

Over the last couple of years Juan has painted a lot on commission, including several large paintings for Hollywood agent David Saunders and he also worked with movie producer Gordon Freeman on his movie "No Answer", providing some of the artwork to be used in the sets. "No Answer" is due for release late 2006 or early 2007.

Juan's early works were primarily figurative. Currently he mostly paints abstract artworks.

Juan's early works were primarily figurative, in which he experimented with such things as the bent necks of the geisha paintings he did, and again with the Tibetan Buddhist figures he painted. Currently he mostly paints abstract artworks, and is fully engaged on commissioned work.

He has also done some pieces that have involved mixed media, such as rock and slate, and also some assemblage of New Zealand paua (abalone) shell, raffia, and acrylic on canvas.

Juan has also completed some female nudes.

If you have any inquiries about Juan Coronado's art, please contact ArikiArt.

This introduction was first published by ArikiArt in 2003.

Abstract Paintings | Flower Paintings | Acrylic and Oil Paintings | Giclee Art Prints | Sold artworks

Daniele van Eck, Acrylic Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:32:00 +0000

Daniele van Eck, Artist

Daniele van Eck, born April 1983, Johannesburg South Africa is a self-taught abstract and nude artist.

She created various forms of art since the age of 13, did pencil and charcoal drawing for more than 4 years and started focusing permanently on painting early 2006.

Daniele is currently studying art and will be starting her degree studies of visual art in 2008 to enhance her techniques and increase her knowledge.

Although she mainly uses acrylic in her paintings she does experiment with other mediums for texture and uniqueness. Various artworks have been purchased by clients from Korea, UK, Cypress, Toronto, Sweden, Greece and US.

Her main inspirations for abstract art are emotion, insights, spirituality and the power of color, whereas the nudes reflect beauty, form and the sensuality of the human body.

Visit Daniele van Eck's blog at http://danielevaneck.arikiart.com/

Keith Townshend, Oil Painter, Digital, and Graphic Artist

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:27:00 +0000

Art by Keith Townshend

Keith Townshend was born in Picton, in New Zealand's Marlborough region, in 1948. He spent his youth in Blenheim N.Z. He started painting in oils at the age of thirteen. During these early years of painting Keith was fortunate to be taken under the wings of three local artists who recognized his talent and tutored and guided him.

Keith moved to Napier in the Hawkes Bay region in the early '60s. He entered the printing trade as a Hand Typographer. Though still continuing to paint with oils, he began to work more and more with acrylics, watercolour and gouache.

He moved to Auckland in the late sixties and began working as a commercial artist after studying art and commercial art at Elam and the Auckland Institute of Technology.

During the eighties he became very involved with Computer Graphics but his love of painting continued. He received many commissions for his watercolours and acrylic work. With an eye for detail, he received many requests for native bird, insect and flora studies.

Now Keith concentrates very much on oil painting. His love of the sea is reflected in his prolific and enthusiastic approach to seascapes, but he is just as happy painting still life, figures, and portraits.

His impressionist style is quite unique and reflects his passion for action, reflection and colour. Keith’s style and approach to his painting is largely due to his love and studies of the great master, John Constable.

See Keith's work at http://keithtownshend.arikiart.com/

Or visit Keith's site on your smartphone using this QRC

McKenzie Birnie, Oil Painter and Gourd Artist

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Artist, McKenzie Birnie

McKenzie Birnie was born in Los Angeles in 1938. Her grandfather, Johan Birnie, was from the old school of Dutch painters. He immigrated to the United States and set up a studio in his house and worked there daily. (See a portrait McKenzie painted of her Indonesian grandfather and Dutch grandmother)

As a small child, McKenzie would spend hour after hour on a stool in the corner of her grandfather's studio watching him go through the various stages of drawing and planning a composition, preparing a color palette, skillfully employing his craftsmanship with requisite patience and endurance, and fastidiously caring for his brushes and equipment - in short, preparing a reverent welcome for the magic of his art. Before his granddaughter's mesmerized eyes, blank canvases and inert tubes of paint were transformed into vibrant stories of form and color.

This was a powerful process for an impressionable child to witness, and the young McKenzie went on to apply her grandfather's lessons to her own media and activities in life.

Another childhood experience that would have a profound impact on McKenzie's artistic formation was a move to a remote ranch in northern Nevada. Under the wide Nevada sky, McKenzie discovered the elements of time and space while making a strong connection with the natural world. These elements shaped her life through school and the raising of her three children, and continue to be reflected in her art today.

McKenzie Birnie received a Master's degree in Fine Arts before launching into a full-time career in art. Using weaving and mixed media, she created wearable art for Obiko and other galleries in San Francisco and Northern California. A highlight of her art career was when she exhibited her "Story Shirts" in the Salon des Ateliers d'Art in Paris, which featured artists from around the world.

She now lives in Southern California and recently has turned to telling her stories on large gourds using paint and mixed media.

Online Gallery, McKenzie Birnie

Vakhtang (Vaxo) Kakulia, Oil Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Vakhtang (Vaxo) Kakulia Fine Art Painter

Vakhtang Kakulia was born in May 1974 in Tbilisi, Georgia. From 1985 to 1989 he studied at The School of Art in Tbilisi. In 1991 he entered the Tbilisi State Academy of Art and studied art design, interior and exterior design, monumental art and sculpture. He graduated in 1997.
A unique style is evident in Vakhtang Kakulia's paintings. The technical aptitude demonstrated in his paintings is remarkable, and draws on his knowledge of classic painting. his paintings are complex in terms of subject, composition, and color. The subjects of his works are often mundane objects from daily life, but are represented in a manner that is compellingly full of interest.
Paintings by Vakhtang Kakulia are in private collections in Germany, the USA, and Canada.

Exhibitions:

1998 - “AMA” (Avant-garde Mode Assembly) 2001 Modern Art (Tbilisi Georgia)
2004 - Solo exhibition at TMS gallery (Tbilisi Georgia)

Vakhtang Kakulia's paintings

Andrea Beech, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:08:00 +0000

Andrea Beech - New Zealand Abstract Artist

I met German-born New Zealander Andrea Beech on a trip to New Zealand in January 2004. New Zealand has a vast and vibrant local art seen with many artists of exceptional talent. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Andrea by my cousin who lives in New Zealand and works as an art therapist. Andrea was the first abstact artist to join Ariki Art back in 2004.

When I visited Andrea's studio I was taken by her energy and vitality, and could not resist buying a piece of her art for my collection. I hope you will be similarly compelled when you see the abstract paintings in her online gallery at Ariki Art.

Andrea is making quite a name for herself in the local art scene in New Zealand as an up-and-coming abstract artist, and I encourage you to consider investing in her talent before her reputation drives her prices higher.

Although Andrea lives in New Zealand, she is willing to ship her work to most countries at your expense. If you are living in New Zealand or planning on visiting New Zealand and would like to visit Andrea's studio, please contact me and I can introduce you to Andrea or provide you with a list of galleries that are currently offering her work.

You can get to know more about Andrea Beech by reading this interview I conducted with her at the beginning of 2004.

How and when did you get interested in art?

My interest goes back to my childhood. I was always interested in playing with different materials, colours and textures. This interest has led me through my path in life in many different ways. Painting /drawing, wood and stone sculpting, pottery and back to painting.

Do you have any formal education in the arts or are you self-taught like so many other artists?

I have a Diploma in Ceramics from Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand, and worked as a studio potter in Gisborne. As far as my painting is concerned, I am self-taught.

What media do you tend to use?

I work with acrylics, oils, pastels, and mixed media.

Have you exhibited at any shows?

Here is a list of the shows that I have exhibited at: (Current early 2004)

Crossroads Gallery, Wellington. Solo show ‘99

Community Art center Hastings 1998 and 2003

Art Feast, Havelock North 2000, 2001,2002, and 2003

Creative Napier 2001

Autumn home and Garden show, Westpac Stadium, Wellington 2001

“Toast": Wellington Solo exhibition 2002

Royal Easter Show, Auckland, twice

Art Works Rotary Club Auckland 2002 & 2003

Electra Gallery, Waipukurau, solo 2001, mini -exhition 2003 “Orua Wharo”,

Central Hawke’s Bay, twice

"Art Extravaganza", twice

Hawkes Bay District Council, solo 2003

Hettinga Estate winery, solo 2003

Millennium Art competition 2001

Telecom New Zealand Art Awards, twice

Hawkes Bay Review, 2003

You've been pretty active in your shows. Have you won any awards at these shows?

Yes, at the Hawkes Bay Millennium Art competition 2001 I was placed 2nd in show. And I was a finalist in the Telecom New Zealand Art awards in 2001.

How would you describe your style?

My style is abstract and free. I bring to my work a rich experience of the world from traveling widely. Additionally, my deep interest in my surroundings, both physically as well as socially, contributes to how I express myself in my paintings. My "Landscapes” are of an “inner” nature, where I try to call the core of life out of chaos, thus bringing expression to an idea, touching the essence or the concept behind the appearance. I try to achieve this through simplicity but with a depth that allows the viewer to get involved.

Are you prepared to accept any commissioned work?

Yes. Please contact me through ArikiArt expressing your interest. I am happy to consider all requests.

Are you a full-time artist?

Yes, I am.

Would you like to share anything about your life, your family, and your art?

Life is an Art! Art is life ! I am always exploring what life and art is all about and where it is going . There always seems to be far more questions than answers. I am fascinated with the wonders of nature, it’s unattainable beauty and chaotic order. I love my big garden (and the work it needs).

Whenever I can, I go walking in the “bush”, wild hills and mountains, or at the sea. My big family is most precious to me. One of my six children is still at home while the others are largely grown up and spread all over the globe. I miss them , but also am grateful for the time I have now to put into my artwork.

We, (my husband Martin, the youngest son Max, our dog “Snag’ and the pussycat, a beehive and some chickens) live in a fairly rural setting surrounded by many trees shrubs and birds.

My family are all passionate about opera and classical music, theater and other live-art forms. Two of my sons are actually professional musicians! We have no TV, preferring to go out to the movies occasionally. I like to spend my evenings reading anything from world politics to philosophy and spending time with family and friends and eating good food.

Works posted to ArikiArt prior to this blog being established can be viewed at Abstract Art by Andrea Beech Gallery 1 and Abstract Art by Andrea Beech Gallery 2. New works will be posted to this blog as they become available.

Michael McLane, Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Michael McLane - Fine Art Digital Photographer, Irvine, Orange County, California

Fine art photography has been a passion for Michael McLane since his time in college. Michael currently specializes in color and black and white portraits, but has a large body of work in architectural photography as well. His work is currently in over 50 private collections. He has also published two coffee table books of fine art photographs and is working on two new projects. All of Michael's works are issued in strictly limited editions and are autographed by the artist. All of his fine art photographs are supplied with a mat.

Education
AA – Art - Ceramics, Chaffey College
BA – Art – Environmental Design, Cal State Fullerton
M-ARCH – Master of Architecture, Cal Poly Pomona

Ariki Art interviewed Michael in September 2003. Excerpts from the interview follow:

We would like to thank you for your time today, Michael, to answer a few questions for visitors to ArikiArt.com.

We are very happy that you are joining our community of artists, by the way. How and when did you first get interested in art?

My earliest memories of art go back to about kindergarten. I have always enjoyed drawing and building things and by the time I was ten, I knew that I wanted to be an architect. Throughout my life, the drawing, the building and the art all became intertwined. My passion lead me to a lot of new media and ways of expressing myself. Drawing, ceramics, sculpture, woodworking and construction all played a part in how I see the world.

Have you had any formal training in photography or the arts?

I first became interested in photography in college. I took a couple of basic classes and then moved on to learning by doing it on my own. Since my career goal in life was to become an architect, most of my photos were of buildings, still life and landscape shots.

Eight or nine years ago, my wife and family grew tired of seeing my photos that had very few people in them. At their urging, I started photographing people. It didn’t take long and I was hooked. Photographing the human form has now become my passion.

I have acquired a pretty extensive photography library over the years. Next to shooting photographs, looking at other photographers work is one of my favorite pastimes. You can learn a tremendous amount about photography by observing the work of the masters. You can learn even more by learning to see and simply practicing the art.
I have also been pretty fortunate to work and learn from some of the leading photographers of our time. Usually once a year, I spend a week or so in places like Santa Fe or Maine at photography workshops. Photographers like Arnold Newman, Douglas Kirkland, Theo Westenberger and Debbie Fleming Caffery have all offered their wisdom and advice to me.

What media do you use?

Technology in photography is rapidly changing how we capture our images. I still prefer using film, but I now scan to digital to do what I used to do in the darkroom. I print with archival digital printers on various types of watercolor paper and etching board.

I still greatly admire the masters of the silver print. It’s an art that I hope will be with us for a long time to come. The silver print is part of our history and our photographic heritage. However, digital photography is allowing us to do things with our images that only we dreamed possible a few short years ago. Like pencils and paint, digital photography is a tool. The photographer’s eye and his mind are still what he uses to produce his images. Digital photography as well as other creative techniques like some of the Polaroid processes have blurred the line between photography, printmaking and painting. To me, the final image is the most important thing. How you arrive at it is important, but there are many ways to take a journey.

Lighting also plays an important part in photography. Whether you believe it’s all in the highlights or it’s the shadows that really make the difference, how you use the light is critical to the final result. I love studio lighting, but I am equally in love with using available light in my work. Lighting is also a tool that can be used many ways.

We know that your photographs are becoming more and more popular and are now in the hands of over 50 collectors. Have you any other notable successes.

I have won a couple of first and second prizes in Orange County shows. I have self-published two coffee table books: IMAGES, The Staff of Taylor & Associates Architects and URBAN ARENA, Landscape Architecture and Planning. I also have two more projects underway: ROCK STARS, FASHION MODELS, ARTISTS AND FAMOUS ARCHITECTS, and MANY HANDS, The Construction of the East Tower.

It certainly sounds like you're keeping yourself pretty engaged with your art and are currently preparing some pretty interesting work. It's hard to imagine how you manage to maintain your architectural work at the same time. Would you describe your style of photography in any particular way?

Photographing people is personal for me. One of the things that I enjoy about it most is the interaction between the person and me while I am looking through the lens and trying to line up the perfect shot. To me, the portrait needs to not only be an interesting composition but it also needs to capture that instant in time that tells a story about the person. A lot of people don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera. Not everyone is a handsome movie star or a glamorous model. Part of the challenge is to get the person to relax and open up to the camera lens. Part of my personal style is doing exactly that.

Do you accept commissions for your work, Michael?

Yes. My studio is always available and I also will work on location within the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. I do limit my work to portrait or architectural photography work. I do not usually take on weddings or event photography.

Thank you for your time, Michael, and all of us at Ariki Art wish you great success.

If you would like to request a commission from Michael McLane, please contact us with your request.

Jeane Granada Coutts, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Jeane Granada Coutts - Artist, Southern California

Jeane Granada Coutts was born in Granada, Spain. She began painting at the age of four under her father Gordon Coutts' direction and watchful eye. Jeane attended the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, California, where she received a full-time scholarship. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands, California. Jeane currently holds four lifetime teaching credentials.

Jeane Granada Coutts exhibits a free and fearless approach to current issues and ideologies in her paintings, heralding mankind's epochal, spiritual and psychological development. Some of her work employs a strongly dexterous approach using the palette knife in place of the brush. This is the case in the African series of oil paintings, some of which are exhibited here at ArikiArt.com. Other works employ delicate brush work. Her paintings are spontaneous, poetic, impressionistic, realistic, and even surreal in their spiritual impact. All of them demonstrate the passion that Jeane has for art, something that drives her to often paint all night without stopping.

Jeane researches her subject matter, studying the music, art, people, science and literature most closely representing her chosen theme.

Jeane Granada Coutts has exhibited her paintings throughout California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. She has also exhibited in New York.

Jeane is continuing to paint in her Africa Series and Animal series.

Her African Series celebrates the emotional and spiritual quality of the people of Africa. The Animal Series expresses the spirit of nature.

Jeane has been exhibiting various works from both of these series throughout 2002 and 2003 in Southern California.

Jeane is currently working on several new series. One is an Entertainment Series which portrays the excitement and energy of contemporary musicians as well as individual singers and dancers.

Another series entitled Related Consciousness will express the relationship of human being-ness with all of creation.

Also in progress is a Mother and Child series.

Jeane is also currently active teaching art. We wonder where she finds the time and energy!

(Note: This introduction was originally published at Ariki Art in 2002. Ariki Art is not currently in contact with this artist)

Galleries

Ku Bailey, Multimedia New Zealand Maori Artist

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:03:00 +0000

Ku Bailey was born in 1944 in Auckland, New Zealand, of New Zealand Maori father and New Zealand Irish mother.

Having always loved art and craft, there was always a paintbrush or pot of glue close at hand as Ku nourished her creative spirit.

In 1978 she became a member of the Te Unga Waka Maori Women’s Welfare League, whose main aim was to promote the appreciation and teaching of New Zealand Maori arts.

In 1979 Ku Bailey entered a “taniko” watchstrap on behalf of the Te Unga Waka group at the Timaru National Maori Women’s League Conference and took first prize. She was also chosen to weave a taniko panel depicting the Te Tai Tokerau area for the 1983 opening of the Wharenui at Saint Stephen’s Maori Boys’ College.

Taking what she had learned, Ku Bailey went on to teach at the Kakariki Marae at Green Bay High School in West Auckland. She taught there for 4 years, eventually starting a new branch of the Maori Women’s Welfare League with the main aim of promoting Maori art and craft.

With 4 children at school, she gave up teaching to take on a full-time job to help with the family budget. For 13 years she worked for a New Zealand wool supplier, initially on the production side, but eventually moving to the design section where she crafted patterns for hand-knitted garments.

Following a health scare, Ku left full-time employment to do what she had always wanted to do – be more involved in art. She became involved with a group of painters in her area and began exhibiting with some success. In 1994 she had two works in the Waipukurau National Art Awards.

Ku has worked with various media, including wool fiber, oil, water color, and traditional New Zealand Maori media such as jade, bone, and flax.

More recently, Ku has been creating quilt art. Her magnificent piece depicting the Maori Creation myth, “Te Putake O Te Ao”, which depicts the Maori creation myth, was a finalist in the International Quilt Festival – Millennium Quilt Exhibition held in Houston, TX in 2000. As a finalist in the exhibition, “Te Putake” was subsequently exhibited in Atlantic City, Barcelona, and Kobe until the summer of 2002. The quilt is now in the hands of a private collector.

Ku Bailey's Galleries

Quilt Gallery

Beaded amulet bags with New Zealand Maori taniko weaving and pattern

New Zealand Maori totem art

Dean Croft, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Dean Croft, Artist

Dene Croft Vancouver Artist
Contemporary Art Deco, Still-life , and Landscape Paintings

Chef, classical guitarist, bonsai artist, and painter. Such is the wide creative palette of Dene Croft, painter and father of two who lives in Vancouver, Canada. Dene paints in oil on canvas, and his subject matter has often focused on figures and scenes from the 1920's and 1930's art deco period, still life paintings, and landscapes.

Although Dene has lived in Canada since 1991, he spent the first 29 years of his life in New Zealand. Dene is emphatic that the deeply formative influences of New Zealand mean that he is a New Zealand artist who lives in Canada.

Dene's interest in the subject matter of the 1920s and 1930s is anchored in his passion for collecting small nude dancing figures from the art deco period.

Dene's career as a painter really got going with the birth of his first child. The experience of having children was in many ways his catharsis; providing that singular defining moment which allowed him to re-evaluate and reflect on who he was and where he wanted to be.

"Sheri" by Dean Croft

It was in 1996 that Dene decided to direct his creative impulses into making painting his full-time career. In doing so, he draws upon the formative experiences, creative energies, and landscape of his native New Zealand, and the spectacular beauty and experiences of his adopted Canada. By achieving an exquisite harmony of all these influences, Dene Croft has produced a magnificent body of art that spans his figurative paintings featuring themes from the 1920's and 1930's art deco period, through his striking still-life paintings, and finally to his landscapes.

Dene Croft - Vancouver Artist - Online Art Gallery 1
Dene Croft - Vancouver Artist - Online Art Gallery 2

Dene Croft Exhibitions
April 2003
Solo show, Simon Patrich Galleries

March 2003
Winter group show, Evans Gallery-Kelowna

April 2002
Roots Retrospective, Ferry Building Gallery, Vancouver

March 26 2001
1 hour appearance, Ingram Show

March 2001
F.C.A. Juried Group Show, Vancouver

January 2001
F.C.A. Winter Juried Show, Vancouver

June 2000
Manhattan Arts Juried Show, New York

March 2000
Manhattan Arts -Her Story Show, New York

February 2000
Aim for Artists International Juried Show, Vancouver

February 2000
1 hour appearance, Ingram Show

November 1999
Collingwood auction fundraiser

November 1999
Michael J Wolf Fine Arts Group Show, San Diego

Sept/Oct 1999
Art Effect Solo Show, Vancouver

Sept. 1999
Splash/Arts Umbrella Fundraiser, Vancouver

Aug. 1999
Art Beat Group Show, Silk Purse Gallery, Vancouver

Aug. 1999
Harmony Arts Group Show ,Ferry Building Gallery, Vancouver

May 1999
1 hour appearance, Ingram Show

April 1999
Diamond Ball Cancer Fundraiser, Vancouver

April 1999
New Works Solo Show, Harrison Galleries, Vancouver

Nov. 1998
Collingwood Auction Fundraiser

Aug. 1998
Art Beat Group Show, Silk Purse Gallery, Vancouver

Aug. 1998
Harmony Arts Group Show, Ferry Building Gallery, Vancouver

June 1998
A Singular Face, Group Show, Seymour Art Gallery, Vancouver

Nov. 1997
Faces-Group Show, Ferry Building Gallery, Vancouver

Aug. 1997
Harmony Arts Group Show, Ferry Building Gallery, Vancouver

Dene Croft - Vancouver Artist - Online Art Gallery 1

Dene Croft - Vancouver Artist - Online Art Gallery 2

Taras Tryndyk, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Painting by Ukrainian Rrtist Taras Tryndyk

Ukrainian artist Taras Tryndyk paints in acrylic and oil. His paintings are mostly large (a meter and a half) but he paints some smaller sized works too.

Taras Tryndyk paints still-lives, landscapes, and portraits, but his forte is abstract artworks. When Taras Tryndyk paints abstracts he is in his element and people likes these works most of all because they can use their imagination while looking at his paintings.

Publications

Magazines: “Afisha Dnepropetrovsk” Magazine, "New City"
Newspapers: “Komsomolskaya Pravda Ukrainy”, "Dneprvecherny", "Our City", "Evening City", "Position", among others.

Exhibitions:

In 2001 he took part in commemorative art exhibitions which were dedicated to the 225th anniversary of Dnepropetrovsk at the Dnepropetrovsk National Union of Ukrainian artists and at the Art Museum in Dnepropetrovsk. Taras Tryndyk was awarded the Governor's grant.
In 2002 he had an exhibition called "The Dotted Lines of future" at the Art Museum. This was his first solo exhibition.
In 2003 his second solo exhibition called "The summer contrasts" took place at the Union of Ukrainian
artists in Dnepropetrovsk.
In 2004 Taras Tryndyk was a participant in the exhibition "The Artists of Predneprovya. A New Countdown. "
The exhibition took place at the Arlis Gallery in Nikopol and at the Soviart Gallery in Kiev.
In 2005 he was a participant in the Ukrainian architects’ Festival "Specka" in Dnepropetrovsk.
In 2006 his solo exhibition was opened at the Lenin gallery in Zaporozhye. He also had a large exhibition where more than 70 paintings were presented in four exhibition halls at the Art Museum in Dnepropetrovsk.
In 2007 he was a participant of the project “12 months - 12 artists ". The organizers were Artvertep "Borzo” gallery in Dnepropetrovsk.
In 2009 he had a solo exhibition at the opening of a new "Apartment” gallery in Dnepropetrovsk
In 2010 the Museum of Art invited Taras Tryndyk to participate in the annual regional exhibition.
In 2011 Lenin gallery invited 20 well-known Ukrainian artists to participate in the "Christmas Exhibition" and Taras Tryndyk was among them.
In 2011 he will exhibit in Lviv in Art Gallery Primus http://www.primusart.com.ua/view.php?id=57

S. Bugulova, an art critic observes: “It is always problematic to stand on the sharp edge of "stankovizm" [see Russian constructivism Ed.] and decorative art. Taras Tryndyk creates original panoramas. They have their own space which can be deep, obvious, or mysterious. Certain objects and their fragments materialize in his paintings. Between the seasons and hours of the day you can find something new in his works. His paintings can turn into a pleasant background.”

Taras Tryndyk always takes into account the interests of other people and he is a very frank and original person.

Inquiries
If you are interested in his work, please call or email the artist or his representatives.
Contact info: +38 (067) 713 58 57 Taras
+38 (98) 493 55 76 Svetlana
+38 (063) 85 95 531 Alice Koshkovskayae-mail: alice.kat@yandex.ru
kucka-wisdom@yandex.ru

Painting by Ukrainian Rrtist Taras Tryndyk

AJ Collins, Ceramic Artist

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:39:00 +0000

AJ Collins - Functional Ceramic Artist

American, born 1977

"I draw influence from many different traditions, from prehistoric Woodland-period pots found in the Southeastern U.S., to Okayama Japanese styles, and to Abstract Expressionism."

Pottery and ceramic art were not AJ Collins' first craft. He grew up in North Carolina. After graduating from Appalachian State University, he moved to California to complete his MFA in Poetry, while at the same time teaching contemporary poetry and writing at UC-Irvine. In the summer of 2005, AJ moved to Farmington, Maine, to take up a position as an assistant professor in the English Department at the University of Maine, Farmington.

Having learned woodworking, soldering, and welding while helping with his father's commercial refrigeration business, in college he initially began making functional chair sculptures with metals and wood. His involvement with ceramic art is circuitous, and has been propelled as much by a hyper-driven desire to make with his hands as it has by his view of pottery as a primal function of civilization. Through pottery and ceramic art, AJ bridges prehistorical human inclinations with good modern technology.

This exceptionally talented young artist, truly embodies the sentiments of the quote by Collette Brichant found
on our home page: "In today's world of mass production, there remain those men and women who work with their hands according to ancient techniques...They give themselves to their craft by vocation, less for material gain than for the esthetic order they find there.

AJ Collins comments, "my present work in three-dimensional visual forms began when I found common threads between the visual and written arts, especially poetry. The practices of making earthenware vessels and the oral tradition of poetry predate modern civilization, thus their practice today binds us with a primal, essential human behavior and self-expression that is rare or fleeting in today's boisterous and posturing society.

A pivotal element of these practices is their function, both in the making and in the made thing. The making of both teaches concentration, patience, and cultivates skill. The made thing becomes external to the artist and is used by others, either by practical application of it (using the bowl to eat from, using the poem to learn), or by appreciation for the process of making that the artist underwent. Hopefully we've all been involved in some step of this process; to make and to use is to be essentially human."

Currently, AJ is working a lot with the Woodland technique. "Woodland pots are, generally, prehistoric pots from what is now Maryland and Virginia that were flat-bottomed and slumped due to their still-developing technology--I'm trying to emulate that style with modern technology by using the forms I carve, particularly for the deeper plates."

In the spirit of these sentiments, AJ has learned and continues to make bold progress with his art by consistently working, absorbing as much as he can from both the past and current evolving traditions of ceramic art.

Functional Ceramics in Homage to Ryoji Koie | Ceramic plates | Ceramic Boxes | Ceramic Serving Platters | Ceramic bowls

Abhilasha Singh, Painter

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:56:00 +0000

About Abhilasha Singh

Watercolor Artist Abhilasha Singh

Born in June 1975 in Lucknow, India. Abhilasha Singh is a self-taught watercolour artist.

She started painting at the age of 2, when she won her first painting competition. She developed a hobby for drawing cartoons while in school which grew into a serious pastime. Her love for colors and landscape was noticed by everyone in various local exhibitions and competitions she took part in as a child.

She especially likes doing floral watercolours and still-life and takes inspiration from the works of early 16th century European artists.

She has also been influenced by the Russian artists of St. Petersburg, a place close to her heart for its immense beauty and talent.

In 2000 she was approached by the British Fine Art Gallery to display her work on-line with them. She has been marketing her artwork ever since and has met many artists and celebrities from various fields of the art and entertainment world through her work.

She has personally promoted her work extensively in India and the UK and has met with a tremendous response.

Her clients have been from Spain, the UK, Italy, Russia and India. Her artworks have also been displayed to aclaim in art exhibitions in the UK with many more exhibitions planned.

Exhibition include 'Perceptions of Woman' held from 25th-30th June 2007 daily at the Smithfield GalleryWest Smithfield, London EC1.

Raymond Neher, Painter (Deceased)

noreply@blogger.com (John Corney) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Raymond Neher
American Artist, 1943 - 2004

Born in New Jersey in 1943, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and Columbia University, Raymond Neher moved to California in 1973. Raymond passed away from lung cancer on March 15th, 2004. (Obituary San Francisco Chronicle). An American realist painter and a printmaker, his works on canvas and paper have been exhibited in gallery and museum shows from coast to coast and are included in private collections from Los Angeles to Rome. During the past twenty-five years, he has created photo-realist landscapes, roadscapes, and cityscapes while traveling the world from Interstate 5 in California’s central valley to the fiords of the Straits of Magellan. Since 1993 he also has turned his talents to recording the fanciful flora and fauna and landscapes of the imaginary Republic of Cadatonia in monoprints.

The Cadatonia Special Species series of monoprints is based on the childhood memories of the artist when he used to spend the summer vacations at the Jersey shore and conjured the sun-drenched mythical land of Cadatonia with its fanciful flora and fauna. This series of seven monoprints is printed on 18" x 18" paper with an embossed border done by the artist. To the sides are Cadatonia palms, above are seagulls flying by. Below each print is a short text detailing the particular flora and fauna depicted in the work. The text is available in either English or French. Neher printed 12 of each print in the series, and almost all have now been sold. The prints are available individually. Remember, these prints are now strictly limited, so don't delay in placing your order for one or a complete set of the Cadatonia Special Species Series of Monoprints.

Raymond Neher's roadscape paintings came of an ambition to drive the 50 States and document each one in a painting. This ambition was never fully realized as travel overseas became a more and more compelling distraction to this quest, but nonetheless Raymond did make a worthy attempt at completing the task. Look through Raymond's roadscape art and perhaps you'll even recognize a landmark yourself such as the one crossing the Red River from Texas on Interstate 35, where a welcoming sign leaves no doubt that being in Oklahoma is going to be OK!

Several works by the late artist Raymond Neher are still available for sale. Please contact Ariki Art with details of any specific interest in any of Raymond's works.

Visit Raymond Neher's various online galleries by following the links below.