'Urban Stories' opening night






The opening night of my exhibition 'Urban Stories' went very well with lots of people coming through and some good discussion and feedback about my work. Thanks to all those who came along.

Wallace Trust Art Awards 2011

The 20th Wallace Arts Awards ceremony went off very well on Monday night at the Pah Homestead in Cecilia Park. Having no car we hurried by public transport and consequently were a little late, as the bus there takes a very circuitous route.



Anita on the way to the event.



Sir James Wallace is here giving his speech alongside Len Brown the Mayor of Auckland. John Banks the ex Mayor also attended and the awards were judged by Philip Trusttum, Sara Hughes and Peter Gibson-Smith.



The paramount winner was Akiko Diegel. A detail of her work here shows a perspex box full of aspirin packets moulded into paper clip forms.

Some of the winners on the podium pose for a photo opportunity. The other winners were

Brydee Rood (Mull Ballon Wolke Kanal Projekt).

Matt Ellwood (Unconditional Love).

Bronwynne Cornish (Between a Rock and Hard Place).

Emil McAvoy (Helen).

Anita Levering (False Flat 6 Sap Green on Paynes Grey).

Philip Dadson (Headstamps II: Homage to the Silk Road).



'Skateboarder' oil on board 81 x 123 cm
My entry, 'Skateboarder' is in the Salon des Refuses located in the Long Gallery and it is being acquired by the Wallace Arts Trust.

Urban Stories

My exhibition 'Urban Stories' opens on Wednesday 7th September at Northart Gallery in Northcote. The opening function is from 5.30pm - 7.30pm and the address is Norman King Square, Ernie Mays Street, Northcote Shopping Centre, Auckland North Shore.
There is plenty of parking off College Road.

'Bald man walking', 2011 oil on board (detail)

More details about this and other exhibitions can be found on Northart's website: http://www.northart.co.nz/


Wallace Arts Awards 2011

I am happy to have been selected as a finalist again this year with my painting 'Skateboarder'.

The Wallace Arts Trust will be announcing the winners of the 2011 Awards on 5th September at the Pah Homestead, which is the home of the Wallace Art collection. The opening event is by invitation only but after that is open to all from 6th to the 16th September.

Information about the centre can be found here: http://www.tsbbankwallaceartscentre.org.nz/wallace-arts-trust/

Information about the Wallace Arts Trust can be found here: http://www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz/?s1=wallace%20art%20awards

Auckland Grammar Exhibition

The Auckland Grammar School Exhibition is coming up on the 26th - 28th August and I will have five paintings in it. The preview evening requires tickets but for the other two days it is free.
See here http://agsartexhibition.school.nz/ for more information and for an online catalogue of the works under 'artists'.


National Contemporary Art Awards

The Waikato Museum was host to The Bold Horizon National Contemporary Art Awards 2011. The finalists exhibition opened on Friday 6th and runs until November 6th.


The winner Andre Hemer's work is a QR image of the google map location of Jackson Pollock's 'Blue Poles', can just be seen on the back wall through the opening below.




Mates from AUT, Lisa, Phillip, me and Joe with my entry, 'Woman approaching group'.


Jemma Skipper another AUT alumni with her entry, 'Wolverton Street, view 3', which was also selected for the finals of the awards.

National Contemporary Art Awards

A recent painting of mine has been accepted as a finalist in the Bold Horizon National Contemporary Art Awards 2011. It is held at the Waikato Museum in Hamilton and the judge this year is John Hurrell. The winner will receive $15,000 and the finalist exhibition continues at the museum for three months which is a good stretch of time for any exhibition. It isa great museum and really well worth a visit.

Striding Figure


A new painting of mine is hanging at Orexart in Upper Khartoum Place, Kitchener Street, Central Auckland. The new Glaister Ennor awards entrants exhibition is showing in the main gallery.
I tried to get a sense of the atmosphere of day for night photography in film-making which is a technique whereby a scene can be shot in bright sunlight but underexposed to make it look like moonlight. There is an artificiality about it which interests me.

Artists in Eden 2011

The annual 'Artists in Eden' day at the Essex Reserve went off well last weekend. Organised by Eden Arts, it is a day when 40 artists work on a drawing or painting in the open during the day and produce a finished work which is then auctioned with two thirds of the proceeds going to community arts initiatives.

The weather turned out fine with no rain and the auction was very successful.







The works once complete are displayed on temporary panels before the auction.


My work is a composited Mount Eden street scene and is oil on gessoed board. I used traditional gesso sanded down to a smooth surface on hardboard (masonite).