Artists who have influenced me.
I’m an art lover. I buy art, and sell my own art.
In this blog I write about other New Zealand Artists who have influenced me.
Their art has brought me joy. I express my gratitude by profiling the amazing artists with their work.
My wee cottage is small. Arguably too small to live and work in. It has too few walls to display all the incredible art I’ve collected over the years. I hope to do it justice here.
Disclaimer: Opinions are not facts. What I write here is my own opinion born from my own experience. IMO is an acronym for in my opinion.
Time allowing I’ll do my best to add an artist and artwork every few weeks.
Some of the art and artists I’ll profile in no particular order are;
Simon Raine | Tama Iti | Catherine Roberts |
Darcy Nicolas | Robyn Kahukiwa | Bernard Winkels |
Caroline Beaufort | Nestor Opetaia | Walter Churton |
Julia Bromley | Lee-Ann Dixon | Peter Deckers |
Helen Casey | Solomon Daniel | And more |
How does Art Influence people?
Art isn’t necessarily just what I see or hear, although both are contributing factors … Art is what I feel, when the art connects with my senses.
Many people buy art because it reminds them, or their senses - of something. And the connection awakens within.
Darcy Nicolas’s paintings are a good example of evoking my senses and feelings.
Darcy was the first artist who helped me connect with and understand wairua. His 1980’s and early 90’s paintings had a beautiful dark depth in which ghost saints and shadow selves hauntingly revealed themselves. His work described what I felt, as a person who walked with the dead all around me. No one else knew. But I did. And Darcys paintings evoked an unusual sense of familiarity in me. My first epiphany art moment was when I saw a Darcy Nicolas painting in the flesh – not out of a borrowed library book. Shout outs to my fellow Whitireia Art College classmate Nestor Opetaia. Our eyes landed on the Darcy painting in unison and we both inhaled sharply.
Prints & Paintings
I’ll also address different types of mediums and paintings and some prints too. Artists often sell prints of their paintings as supplementary income. Prints are essentially copies, mostly with large print runs - so they really don’t have any value. There are some exceptions though. Such as an AP (Artists Proof) or EV (Edition Variable) or a block print on genuine Tapa cloth. I’ll add some more information about prints next to the artists’ profiles. I’ve only ever purchased two prints, both by Robyn Kahukiwa, both second hand. But I also have a stunning Caroline Beaufort who also painted into her prints, and a Soloman Daniel Pacifica block print.
Artist Copyright
Please remember that even if you have purchased a painting or artwork - you do not own the copyright, the artist does.
Māori Art
Many artists still culturally misappropriate Māori art, without the tikanga or understanding of what the Koru and patterns mean. Māori patterns tell stories of different tribal histories which have been passed down through many, many generations and hold deep spiritual and ancestral meaning for Māori. Please don’t do it, it’s considered tapu and a pretty shitty thing to do really. Everybody has their own cultural identity. It’s up to us to do our own mahi around our whakapapa.
Also please don’t buy Māori art if it hasn’t been created by a Te Ao Māori artist. Māori have had too much stolen already, it’s not ok to steal their art too. In buying fake Māori art –the buyer becomes an accessory after the fact. If you’re not sure, research the artist and artwork. Ask about provenance and cultural significance before buying.
Art Buyers
I think you can tell a lot about a person through art in their homes. IMO those who don’t feel, don’t naturally make or buy art either. Often those who are considered sensitive or empathic have beautiful and well-connected art. Whereas the super wealthy collect art to reflect quantity investment, but they don’t necessarily have any connection to art other than monetary value. If you’re not naturally empathic but would like to purchase art, try reaching out to artists directly to form a connection. Tell them a budget and what you’d like and why. Most artists act intuitively as a conduit between senses and creation. Sometimes I am known to channel messages for people through my art, even though I don’t necessarily understand the why or what, I simply roll with what is happening on the canvas.
The first and most recent painting that influenced me;
Simon Raine – New Beginnings 2024.
Oil painting, framed on box canvas 60cms x60cms $650.
I spotted this oil painting upstairs at the Art Loft Gallery in Taranaki and immediately fell in love with its ethereal beauty. It reminded me of the abstract beach sunset I’d photographed the evening before when light refracted over the volcanic black sand. Nothing quite like it really, simply breathtaking. Photos below, including a photo of me taking the photos.
Simon was painting in situ at the Art Loft. He said he intended to add significantly more to the painting and mentioned refractions. The sweet, synchronized serendipity just blew me away and I instantly connected to the work. To me, the painting looked finished. I was stoked when Simon graciously allowed me to buy it as it was. It sits above my desk at work, and brings me joy every day, thank you Simon!
Taranaki has a magnificent and wonderfully unpretentious art scene. The art there is raw and real, and it’s done with love and so much community support, which is refreshing and comforting to see. If you haven’t been to the Art Loft or done the arts trail and galleries in Taranaki - please do.
I must also mention the outstanding eateries and restaurants – there’s top quality dining in New Plymouth. It’s a great place for a romantic or family getaway, a surf, or rock climb… The waterfront, river, and many stunning walks and gardens are just beautiful. As a destination Taranaki punches so far above its weight. It would be rude of me to keep this enchanting place a secret.
Tama Iti – Untitled 2016.
Acrylic Painting on thick black bitumen drawing paper 30cms x 23cms $350 purchased second hand.
I have been a huge fan of Tama Iti since I learnt of his (allegedly) wrongful arrest. Through friends, I know two of the other so called terrorists who were also arrested. Both are wonderful, kindhearted and peaceful people. They were arrested on ridiculous charges trussed up as terrorism. A total circus, all on the taxpayer’s purse.
The racialized raids at Tūhoe were indefensible. Another stain on the level of freedoms of different peoples - afforded by small groups who pretend it’s not called racist subjugation, instead it is called the law. Don’t get me wrong, we need laws, but they must be written by, and in representation of - all people. Rather than stale pale males. I mean the most incredible Māori women were completely written out of white New Zealand history. Take Waitohi, the eldest sister of Te Rauparaha, she was a distinguished leader of Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Raukawa tribes and mother of Te Rangihaeata. Or the fact white coloniser men refused to allow leading female Tribal Chiefs to sign Ti Tiritu / The Treaty of Waitangi.
IMO New Zealand hasn’t become more racist; it’s always been racist. For example, I was raised in an abusive and violent home. I learnt during therapy that abuse is all about dominance and control. If I was submissive to the abusers - things would be ok. But as I grew up and developed independence and gained autonomy, I was no longer submissive. Thinking for myself was a threat to their dominance and control. During therapy I also learnt that abusers know exactly what they’re doing. Sound familiar? IMO New Zealand isn’t descending into racism; I think it’s emerging from it. Now that there’s enough of us who recognize abuse, we pose a real threat to abuser control. So now is not the time to lose hope! There are more of us emerging from submission. Together we are powerful. Some people will never get this because they haven’t done the mahi on themselves or don’t understand New Zealand’s abusive history toward Māori. New Zealand history has been inaccurately recorded by colonist white men.
I support Te Tiriti.
But back to Tama, well he went on the daft voyage the crown forcibly sent him on, which was prison. I love it that Tama is reported as a model prisoner. Of course he was. He’s a Māori man who advocates against racism and abuse through his art. Which has gone from strength to strength. Tama is an activist, an artist and a shithot filmmaker and I’m a huge fan. I look at his work and feel it in my soul.
Big ups Tama Iti!
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