The Reality of Landscapes

"Light has always been vital to my work. To me it is about transition and change. It transforms the character and form of the landscape. It distorts and obscures, it clarifies and sharpens. It excites my sense of the abstract - that glimpse is the seed of a painting." - Bruce Hunt 

Born in Wellington in 1964, Bruce Hunt was educate at Wellington Collegeand Victoria University. Working as a full-time artist since 1983, he has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand. As a studio painter he travels widely in pursuit of visual information but is drawn back again and again to those few special locations that are the vital inspiration to his work - the Lindis Pass, Danseys Pass, the Old Dunstan Trail, the MacKenzie Basin and Erewhon in the South, Ninety Mile Beach and Muriwai in the North. 

He presently resides back in Dunedin within reach of the hinterland that has been the focus of his work for nearly three decades

. His ‘uneasy’ relationship with the landscape, and his emotional response to it remain the foundation of his work. While Hunt's images are based on specific places they evoke not document, the direction of his approach has been to ‘sieve’ the landscape of ‘unruly’ elements and refine down each image until the focus of the work becomes the essence of mood and atmosphere, light and tone. The profound affects of light are an ongoing preoccupation in Hunt's landscapes. 

Convergence. 1000 x 1200. Acrylic on canvas. $14500. 

Painted with skill and subtlety, his paintings are constructed with layer upon layer of pigment using a free fluid technique until the final painting is an amalgam of these many layers of vivid under painting, impatient brushwork followed by formalisation and focus. 

With 'Convergence' currently on display in the gallery make sure you call in the next time you are passing through - Hunt's works are made to be experienced! 

Pattern, Colour & Gesture

Spring Garden 8 12
90 x 36 x 18cm. Acrylic on Wood
$350

Having studied painting at the Canberra School of Art and at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts in Paris, Anne-Marie Jean moved to New Zealand in 2000 and has exhibited regularly since. Her energetic and beautifully coloured large-scale paintings speak of her passionate love of nature, the medium of oil painting and a spiritual side of life.

At the beginning of 2012 Anne-Marie returned from Wellington to Christchurch in order to be closer to the “beautiful South Island landscapes” she loves. “Here I am setting up my studio, commencing my PhD study in painting, launching my art consultancy business and running the occasional painting workshop. It is a busy and rich life which centres around my passion for painting and design to shares that with both artists and art appreciators.”

Left - Lake Daniels Forest Hut #1
Right - Hurunui Hut Forest 2
Both Oil on Canvas, $5900

Anne-Marie comments that her own “painting is as much about a celebration and exploration of the history of painting and the medium of paint itself as it is an evocation of my love of, and experience of, nature. Beauty, simplicity, pattern and expressionism have provided spiritual insight throughout the ages. I am exploring experiences and spirituality as I combine patterns, colour, gesture and landscape. I am attracted to unruly landscapes that contain patterns which are disrupted by discordant notes, landscapes which are not neat, that invite close inspection; landscapes with which I can become intimate.”

Producing a vast range of work - from large-scale oil paintings to bold acrylic on wood works - Anne-Marie Jean is an evolving artist who draws the viewer, in offering them a unique experience every-time.  We are thrilled to be showing a range of her work, click here to see what we have on offer. 

Spring Garden 4
112 x 120 x 4cm. Acrylic on Wood
$2400

Playing With Fire

Working from his studio garden ‘Playing With Fire’ at Kina Beach forty minutes from Nelson, Darryl Frost has established himself as a prominent ceramic artist on the New Zealand art scene. Despite his formal training Darryl is largely self-taught in the art of anagama kiln firing. He is the only ceramist in the Nelson region to operate an anagama kiln and one of a small community of wood firers scattered throughout the country. Known as the ‘wild child’ amongst his fellow ceramic artists Darryl strives for originality in both the style and execution of his work – his reputation is in part due to his experimental processes, well-documented fascination with fire, and his notorious five day/100 hour firings! As a devotee of working with mixed media, Darryl embraces the challenges of using wood, metal, rods and glass to form sculptures.

Koru Sinkers. Anagama Ceramic on Flax Fibre. $125 each

Producing a vast range of work, Darryl is perhaps best known for his Koru Sinkers. And we are thrilled to announce we have an extensive range in store now. With each koru sinker varying in shape, colour, texture and length, each one is as unique as the man who creates them. Perfect hung individually on a narrow wall or as a cluster.

Top - Woven Wall Panel. $180
Bottom - Woven Sushi Platters. $120 each

If the sinkers aren’t for you, we also have a selection of domesticware from Darryl. Including an anagama ceramic woven wall panel and various 'love potion' vessels. 

Various sized Love Potion Vessels from $35. Small Woven Flax Vase $120. 

A New Take on Landscapes

New to Two Rivers Gallery is Dunedin artist Liz Rowe. Below she shares a bit about herself and what inspires her large-scale acrylic and charcoal paintings.

“Much of my work uses landscape to explore ideas around place and the environment. Landscape has a long and rich history within Western art and the conventions of landscape are well understood. Rather than the traditional landscape view my images are of ordinary places. Sometimes I draw in charcoal and pale washes to emphasise the unremarkable nature of places that are often overlooked. 

More recently I have begun painting in brightly colours-landscapes with a decidedly kitsch and digitalized feel to them. While these works have their feet planted in standard notions of the picturesque, these are also places that are so familiar they could be every place, yet be no place in particular at the same time. I want to draw attention on what we do with all out land, not just the small pockets of spectacular scenery amongst the paddocks and the tracts of houses. 

My environmental concerns are especially focused on the dairy industry and I have done a number of works based around this theme. While dairying has been good for NZ, I’m not sure we want to turn the whole country into a dairy farm. If we continue with unsustainable family practices, endless subdivisions for housing sprawl and exploitation of resources at any cost we will lose everything that we value about NZ and our place in the world.”

Making Milking Faster & Easier. Acrylic & Charcoal on paper. $650

Little Bit Different

A Mad Tea Party. $35

Having finished her Bachelor of Visual Art & Design, Auckland based illustrator Bayley Collins decided the best way to have her dream job was to create it so in 2009 she set to work. “My first work was an owl face with a rabbits body,” she shares. “My boyfriend walked past my studio and asked what I had made, and I said, well… it’s a bird in a bunny suit!” And so the dream was born.

Since then she has continued to combine her love for collage and illustration, crafting small collections of quirky animals. From her original pieces of work Bayley makes limited edition prints and cards and has even had some of her designs reproduced on tea-towels, pillow cases and tote bags.

With her limited edition prints available in a4 and a5 size, they are not only affordable but will bring something a little bit different to your art collection. Plus, the character and personality found in each one of her works is hard to go past.

We are delighted to have a range of Bayley's prints in store and are hoping to have some original works in early 2013! Watch this space. 

From Left - Right: Bird In A Bunny Suit; Bird Mouse; Deer Cat. $18 each

Lady in Bronze

To Breathe & To Dance. Bronze ed of 3.

With international exhibitions under his belt, Dutch born artist and sculptor, Siene de Vries, immigrated to New Zealand in 1988 where he settled with printmaker wife, Saskia van Voorn and their two sons in picturesque Le Bons Bay, Banks Peninsula.

Producing largely figurative work on both a large and small scale, Siene’s sculpture tends toward the gestural, where evidence of the modeling process remains in the cast bronze. Lately, his bronze sculptures have dealt with themes relating to the human condition in a socio-political context. 

Placed prominently in Two Rivers, Siene’s bronze ‘To Breathe and To Dance’ draws the viewer in with her open arms, while suggesting an air of innocence through her downcast gaze. Attracting many admirers she is a striking example of Siene’s work.

To see more of Siene’s work visit our website. 

Wish List

With Christmas fast approaching now is the perfect time to start building that wish list for Santa. At the top of my list is a piece of work by Nelson based printmaker Clare Makwana. Her bold use of colour and strong patterns are captivating - my hot favourite is her wood/lino cut, Garlands of Roses. Plus with a price point of only $520 her work is not only a must have, but a great way to break into the contemporary NZ art scene. Having completed a craft and design diploma in printmaking and book binding she is certainly one to watch!

See more work from Clare here.

In Bloom

We are very excited to share that we have three stunning works by, well-known artist and contemporary tapestry weaver Marilyn Rea-Menzies. Having self taught herself to weave tapestries in 1980 she has since had wide experience in producing tapestries for exhibitions, private collections and for public and corporate spaces.

As the recipient of a number of awards Marilyn has exhibited her work extensively throughout New Zealand and overseas. “Many of my design concepts deal with the deconstruction and reconstruction of images in many different ways. I enjoy breaking up and distorting shapes and spaces to create new images from old,” she shares.

With Iris’s in bloom in the gardens of North Canterbury our top pick this week is her ‘Native Iris’ conte and charcoal work.

Perfect against a crisp white wall, this large painting will bring colour, vibrancy and a sense of life to any home.

Discover more about Marilyn here.

Kereru on Nikau. Conte Crayon & Charcoal.