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Welcome to the NZ Art Guild blog - here you will find the news updates, links to members art, information about art exhibitions and events, art challenge winners etc.

For full information about the NZ Art Guild, its services and to become a member go to NZ Art Guild

Thursday 10 December 2009

Feature Artist of the Week

Victoria Anderson



Lawyer turned artist. Victoria is largely self-taught with guidance from Estel Slabbert. Her works are in private collections throughout New Zealand and in Victoria and Queensland Australia and the U.K. She paints mostly in acrylics with some use of multi-media. Her works reflect her interactions with her physical, emotional and social environment. She expresses herself through stylised, abstract and representational forms, sometimes in the same works.

She is a member of the Mairangi Arts Centre North Shore and exhibits there regularly. Victoria took part in the NZ Art Guild Shave for a Cure event in which she donated an artwork and had her head shaved while raising over $1,000.00 for the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation charity.

"I paint because I have to. It keeps me sane." - Vicotria Anderson






For more of Victoria's Art go to www.nzartguild.co.nz/victoriaanderson



Monday 30 November 2009

NZ Art Guild Challenge #14

Every fortnight a challenge is issued to our guild members and also to members of our facebook group.These challenges are completely voluntary. Submissions must be original and be completed during the 2 week time-frame.Participants may choose to interpret the theme in any way they wish.This last fortnight, the theme was DREAM.

WINNER - PEOPLE'S CHOICE

Chavah Kinloch - Disoriented Daydream
WINNER - MOST CREATIVE USE OF THEME


Sharlene Schmidt - Cloud 9
Other Entries:


Rifraf - Tracy

Rifraf - Juli
Facebook Entries:

Cassandra Gordon-Harris - Crossing the Rubicon
SARASWATI
googled away the waves
then flown adeep
gravel, cobble, granule, pebble
fleeting glimpse: a swan?
ruminatida, sparkling
acres and miles
sniffed in sediments
traced the proof
the source, you are the source
upstream, inseparable
by Anges Marton







Friday 27 November 2009

Feature Artist of the Week

Lei Wen


Lei Wen comes from a family with a long history of artistic tradition. After she graduated, Lei worked as a graphic designer for a few years, but she has since realised that her passion lies with fine art painting. As a result, she began to focus on the portraying of the essence of nature. New Zealand's wildlife and landscapes fuel her passion to recreate those images, along with the spirit that resides within them, through her art for those who share her love for nature.



To view more of Lei's artwork go to www.nzartguild.co.nz/leiwen


Wednesday 18 November 2009

Feature Artist of the Week


Caroline Viesnik

Caroline is an artist from London based in Auckland.

She loves to express herself through painting on canvas and the fascinating medium of bodypainting - she is also a highly skilled make-up artist with many years experience.

Caroline works freelance for television, commercials, fashion shoots and high profile advertising campaigns creating memorable images for event productions and flamboyant award-winning body art creations.


Body painted people mysteriously appear in Caroline Viesnik's paintings. Using photography and other forms of mixed media, her paintings take the viewer into a dream-like world of make-believe imagery and fantasy.

Her paintings are inspired by her experiences and impressions as a make-up artist and body painter.

Contact:
Caroline Viesnik
Makeup Designer/Artist
(09)4446561
0274838739
Caroline@makeupstar.co.nz
www.makeupstar.co.nz

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Feature Artist of the Week



Lauren Worsley

Lauren Worsley is an award winning, largely self taught Auckland-based artist who started her full time career as a practising artist in April 2008, after giving up the corporate world to focus on creating art. Born in 1977, Lauren moved to New Zealand in 2003 and is currently residing in Auckland with her husband Andrew.

Her bold oil paintings and energetic pen drawings are inspired by a constant quest to capture a sense of energy and life force in her surroundings and to transport the viewer to a different place/time. She favours the luminosity, challenge and depth of oil paint in addition to pen drawings on acrylic sheets, and currently most of her work involves capturing the drama, gesture, life essence and rhythm of the human form by using contrasts, energetic textures and rich colour. Fascinated with creating mood and presence, her work attempts to discover and portray these by experimenting with layering, colour, contrast and textures.


Lauren states some of her influences as: "my personal philosophies and spiritual journey, my relationship with nature and perception thereof, Buddhism, enlightenment, living in the moment, the balance of emotion, colour and mood, and my mother".
To view more of Laurens Artwork attend her exhibition at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland on until November 30th in the upstairs gallery or go to her website www.nzartguild.co.nz/laurenworsley

Friday 6 November 2009

NZ Art Guild Challenge #13

Every fortnight a challenge is issued to our guild members and also to members of our facebook group.These challenges are completely voluntary. Submissions must be original and be completed during the 2 week time-frame.

Participants may choose to interpret the theme in any way they wish.

This last fortnight, the theme was MOVEMENT.

Winner - People's Choice and Most Creative Use of Theme

Rifraf - Lilith
Other Entries:

Sophia Elise - Untitled II

Sophia Elise - Untitled I



Chris Cruickshank - Skipping Stones



Sharlene Schmidt - Old Ohau river


Jane Bold - Kiwi Seas

Jo Wright - Sing within the breeze

Rifraf - Donk
Facebook Entries:


Cassandra Gordon-Harris - Movement in Time
" il ne restera que la châsse "
Travellander, speeding,
blooming away.
Text massage from the clouds.
Wounds, scalpel beaks on.
Sweat boat on river bed, stuck.
Silex rubanné,
smash-cut talisman dipped in.
Agnes Marton

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Feature Artist of the Week

Teresa Rodger


Teresa Rodger is an award winning, self-taught artist who was born in the Waikato, she developed a passion for art as a child, being creative with her hands from a young age.

She really enjoys the freedom of experimenting using a variety of mediums, that can transform the work to give a totally different depth and dimension, She uses acrylic, pastel, charcoal and ink, along with materials, but her first love would have to be oil.

Her realism-contemporary style is complimented by her attention to fine detail.

Teresa tends to get lost in her work so that something of herself and her special qualities are expressed within her art.

She draws her inspiration from everything that nature has to offer and celebrates the subtle, natural beauty of ordinary scenes in a way that is both intense and dramatic. Contributing influences include music, animals and the beautiful New Zealand scenery, often painting everyday objects found around her.


Teresa Paints by the Name Blue-tui, Blue being her favourite colour and tui taken from the NZ native bird the Tui.

Website: www.freewebs.com/blue-tui

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Congratulations to artist Teresa Rodger


Congratulations to Teresa Rodger who recently won the Peoples Choice Award at the Tirau Artfest Exhibition. This piece was snapped up quickly. To view more of Teresa's art go to www.freewebs.com/blue-tui/

Congratulations to Artist Helen Sherrock




Artist Helen Sherrock spent several weeks working on a creation for a Wearable Arts Competition held in Waikato recently. She competed against 32 other costumes which included individuals, groups and schools. Helen won 1st place in the Open Category and also won the major prize, 1st place overall.

Her son was her model and Helen's piece was made from re-cycled photography equipment including the light proof inners of photographic bags. The walking cane was empty film canisters joined together. She also recycled a ladies dress, curtains, tights, cowboy hat, scarf,and a few other small items to complete it.

Helen says "Creating this garment and entering the event was heaps of fun and definitely worth the effort. In fact this is probably my biggest achievement to date"

Helen has since been invited to our local art exhibition opening as they wanted her son in the outfit to be on show as living art. She has also been asked by 4 locals businesses/clubs to display the piece at their venues. This will be displayed in their local chemist from Tuesday onwards, as they kindly donated a lot of the materials to complete my outfit.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHZmtV2LQno

Feature Artist of the Week

Helen Sherrock


Helen is a multi talented, emerging artist living in Taumarunui, Central North Island, New Zealand. She works mostly in acrylics, painting a variety of subjects which generally have some form of animal/birds or butterflies in them, reflecting her passion for nature in art. She also has a tendency to paint artworks inspired by her children and the children around us. Hence some of Helen's imaginary work.

Helen prefers to paint art with meaning, and her pieces often have a story behind them, this makes painting so much more fun and from the heart - Art from the Heart

"I have been a member of the NZ Art Guild for the past year and am thoroughly enjoying mingling with like minded people and loving the opportunities the Guild has made available to me"

To View more of Helen's Artworks go to www.nzartguild.co.nz/helensherrock

Sunday 25 October 2009

Exhibition With A Purpose

Where: Cambridge furnituretogo, 44 Duke Street, Cambridge
When: 31st Oct - 30th Nov
Participating NZ Art Guild Artist: Margo Lee
The artwork is intentionally diverse in both subject and style using both pastel and acrylic plus some creative leadlight work.
20% of each artwork sold will go to the Samoa Tsunami Fund
Preview evening on Friday 30th October
For more information email Margo: margoart_57@hotmail.com



Thursday 22 October 2009

NZ Art Guild Challenge #11

Every fortnight a challenge is issued to our guild members and also to members of our facebook group.These challenges are completely voluntary. Submissions must be original and be completed during the 2 week time-frame.
Participants may choose to interpret the theme in any way they wish.
This last fortnight, the theme was MIXED MEDIA.


Winner - People's Choice
Winner - Most Creative Use of Theme

Cath Sheard - "Inspire me"


Friday 16 October 2009

Feature Artist of the Week



Michelle Farrell



Michelle studied sculpture part-time at the Art School, Dunedin Polytechnic in 1987.

These studies opened the door to a passion and excitement that has continued ever since. Over the years since Michelle has continued to produce works mainly in bronze.

Her figurative sculptures have been exhibited in New Zealand and Australia. Her works have been regularly shown by a number of well-established fine art galleries in New Zealand. Her sculptures are held in private collections in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe, Greece, Asia and wider Pacific.

In her figurative works she seeks to express simplicity of form, lightness and energy.

As well as more "quiet" studies of form many of her more recent pieces have sought to bring the bronze "alive" - in uplifting and sometimes humorous portrayals of human nature. Inner intentions and states of mind are described within the body language of her figurative works. Michelle's love of dance as a form of expression and release influence many of her pieces.

Through her love of & lifelong involvement with horses, Michelle has also developed a body of equine pieces - of a more classical style. In recent years she has received several commissions, both public and private, to sculpt life size bronze horses.

Currently Michelle is working on a new series of mainly figurative pieces.
One of these pieces has been selected as a finalist in the North Shore City Art Awards

"Of particular interest to me at this time is the expression of time , energy connections and occurances such as synchronicity which point us to influences which underly & steer existence"

To view more of Michelle scultures go to www.nzartguild.co.nz/michellefarrell





Wednesday 14 October 2009

Coming Soon.... Small Packages Exhibition



NZ Art Guild Small Packages Exhibition

Where: Ground Floor, Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Beach, Auckland
Hours: Mon - Fri - 9am - 5pm Sat 10am - 4pm
When: 3 - 30 November
Participating NZ Art Guild Artists: Aisling Bourne, Ambury Hall, Amy Mackiewicz, Anne Lengauer, Anni Morris, Brian Norton, Caroline Viesnik, Caryl Watts, Cath Sheard, Chris Cruickshank, Christine Dempster, Dennis Clark, Helen Frost, Helen McNamara, Helen Sherrock, Jane Bold, Jane Santos, Janet Marshall, Jen Longshaw, Joanne Redshaw, Linda Lloyd, Linda Paul, Melissa Muirhead, Michele Courage, Michelle Whitehouse, Pam Tapp, Richard Leonard, RifRaf, Rochelle van der Werff, Sally Blyth, Sarah Marks, Sarah Marrs, Sharlene Schmidt, Shelly van Soest, Sheryl Eustace, Sofia Spirtova, Sophia Elise, Tanya Dann, Teresa Rodger, Tineswari Maruthamuthu and Victoria Anderson

Over 40 members of the NZ Art Guild members join together to bring you a fantastic exhibition of over 150 smaller, affordable artworks - just in time for Christmas shopping!!!

Wednesday 7 October 2009

NZ Art Guild Wins Top Spot

NZ Art Guild
Most Community-Minded Business
The David Awards 2009



We are very excited to announce that the NZ Art Guild has won the Most Community Minded Business Award in The David Awards 2009. This category is for a business which gives back to its community, e.g. local, regional or industry sector, in ways, shapes or forms which benefit the community significantly.

The David Awards recognise the unsung heroes in small businesses throughout New Zealand, whose tenacity, courage and ingenuity place them firmly at the forefront of entrepreneurship in this country. Just as David, an ordinary, unassuming young man, used shrewdness and a simple slingshot to conquer the giant Goliath, so these entrepreneurial Davids often punch well above their weight. The David Awards seek to honour these heroes in small business.

To view the video announcement, hear what the judges say and see some photos of the NZ Art Guild at work go to http://www.thedavidawards.co.nz/event2009.html and select from the menu on the right of the screen to view the video clip Community Award.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Feature Artist of the Week


Joanne Wright

PixieMoonArts is all about making and creating enchanting works!!

I am a photographic artist. A faery wing and things creator.

Someone who is probably obsessed with anything Enchanting...

Oh and a real life pixie.

Honest.


I am an odd real life faery, that loves jumping in puddles and dancing in the rain, nature inspires me, and I am forever searching for the faery groves around my beautiful country. I love sparkly wings and things, and purples, husky hues and bluesy tunes. I am often found sleeping in the magickal willow tree......Sometimes though, I am also found wandering through the misty valleys with the twist of the full moon, comfortably caressing the darkened shadows....But all in all, faery, light or dark, I am unique and at one.



My style of art is perhaps quirky, perhaps unique but that describes me, my beliefs are centered on nature and beyond, so it stands to reason my magical creations mirror my inner being. I always played around with a camera, I love to capture that special vision amidst the magic that I feel I have always had. My passion of fantasy and mythology has never waned much from my imagination,I guess it is deeply embedded in me. All my art is original, and I like to go out and converse with nature to get the background shots and ambiance I am needing for my art. I create my own costumes and props as often as possible, making the imagery with my own flavour of quirky. All talent shots are taken by me on location.
I also create and sell faery clothes - wings and skirts





Website: www.enchantedpixie.webs.com

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Feature Artist of the Week

Anni Morris


"I've drawn, painted and made things all of my life in one way or another. Detail, colour, texture, shapes, light and shadow…all things visual have always been very important to me. As a child I enjoyed creating something out of nothing…a dolls house from cardboard shoe boxes, a puppet from odds and ends, even wooden stilts from an old broken piano.

I have never wished it to be a restrictive technical exercise but more an explorative process, where I feel freedom to discover things ‘en route’. This way, it retains its sense of fun and playfulness.

I consider myself an experimental painter and a perennial beginner who has no fixed style. Art for me is about limitless possibilities more than anything else. Creating art is a form of magic and it never ceases to surprise or interest me.

I adore cats (seeking to capture their “catness”in an expressionist manner), trees/plants, buildings, skies, faces and ethnic motifs. The common denominator in my work is colour. I prefer a warm palette.



My mother, a commercial artist, was my first teacher. I have studied Design at Otago University and majored in Art at the Dunedin College of Education. Mostly though I am self-taught and self-representing. I live in Dunedin, in the "Deep South" of New Zealand. My art has been collected in New Zealand and abroad" - Anni Morris

Anni in the News

Innocent Partner


Earlier in September Anni entered 6 paintings in the MS Society (Multiple Scelerosis Society) Wobbly Arts Exhibition. It opened with a charity art auction and 5 out of the 6 sold on the opening night, one to Peter Chin (the Dunedin Mayor) who also officially opened the auction.

Anni also recently entered two paintings in the Dunedin International Airport Art Awards/Otago Arts Society Spring Exhibition. The painting ‘Innocent Partner’ won 2nd place and sold along with her other painting ‘Sweet Surrender’. Both of these artworks were created for NZ Art Guild Challenges! The exhibition is on at the Dunedin Railway Station at the moment.


Sweet Surrender


Congratulations Anni!

To view more of Anni's art go to www.angelfire.com/art2/annimorris/