Welcome to my Studio!
Auckland Domain
Kathy worked as a nurse in the UK and NZ for many years before fulfilling a lifelong desire to go to art school later in life. Her family emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1980. She has sketched and painted all her life, and after her children became independent, studied for a Diploma in Fine Art at the Whitecliffe School of Art in Auckland.
The family sailed a traditional kauri sloop on the Hauraki Gulf, which gave her the opportunity to paint the beautiful island anchorages in all weathers, and the many features of life at sea.
The family sailed a traditional kauri sloop on the Hauraki Gulf, which gave her the opportunity to paint the beautiful island anchorages in all weathers, and the many features of life at sea.
Marine Folio
For two decades her work mainly Marine and Narrative paintings (see below), was sold in Auckland galleries, including Art by the Sea and Art of this World galleries in Devonport, and the Studio of Contemporary Art, Newmarket. Highlights of those years were working as a resident artist at Lake House Arts Centre in Takapuna, and organising the Stars and Stripes gallery in Auckland's Viaduct Basin during the 2000 Americas Cup Regatta. Several trips to France resulted in a French Series of work.
NZ Landscape and Gardens Folio
Kathy moved to the rural Waikato ten years ago with her husband, to live near family and enjoy seeing grandchildren growing up. She built another studio and began a series depicting rural New Zealand's landscape and gardens, finding it a great way of becoming acclimatised.
'The wide open skies, the green pastures, trees - both native and exotic, mountains, rivers and lakes, together with isolated signs of habitation such as fence posts, farm houses with colourful gardens - and water tanks set high on a hill.
AND A HUGE SENSE OF SPACE AND FRESH AIR THAT MAKES IT ESSENTIALLY NEW ZEALAND.'
'The wide open skies, the green pastures, trees - both native and exotic, mountains, rivers and lakes, together with isolated signs of habitation such as fence posts, farm houses with colourful gardens - and water tanks set high on a hill.
AND A HUGE SENSE OF SPACE AND FRESH AIR THAT MAKES IT ESSENTIALLY NEW ZEALAND.'
New Work - Pop Tondos Folio
'Pop Tondo Series' - she recently decided to have a complete change for a while from the landscape painting of many decades, and use the digital expertise acquired in producing the 80 plus digital drawings for her husband's text book (on geothermal energy!) with her knowledge of traditional media. The concept for a multi image format followed on from the earlier Narrative Series (see below).
A colourful series of tondo canvases is emerging - 700 mm in diameter and using mixed media. The ideas initialised digitally, using her own original imagery together with Corel graphics software, and then brought to life on the support in numerous stages, using acrylic paints, pigment inks, acrylic media of various types, gold leaf, bronze castings etc.
"These works tread a passage from traditional painterly imagery to digital iconography. They employ mixed media of necessity, in order to create a contemporary vision of painting, which can challenge the myriads of fleeting, vibrant images which excite our eyes and brains on the screen".
Narrative Folio
Also using mixed media, these narrative paintings, depict aspects of immigration
social life in NZ and some environmental concerns.
Her work is held in private and corporate collections in N.Z. and Overseas, including Carter Holt Harvey, New York; Graeme Hart; Telecom NZ; Dennis Conner, Stars and Stripes Americas Cup Syndicate; and the Prada Americas Cup Syndicate.
Awards:
Finalist Telecom Art Awards 1992
Finalist North Shore City Art Awards 1994 to 2000
NZ Sugar Company Awards at Pumphouse, North Shore, Auckland - Seascape Award - 1995 and 1998, and Merit Award 2003.
Oil Painting Award, Mairangi Arts Centre Members Exhibition 2004
Influences:
The New Zealanders Toss Woolaston and James Nairn, the English artists J.M.W. Turner and John Constable, the Americans, Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer, and the Australian Heidelberg Group have been a source of inspiration in landscape and marine work.
Wallisy Kandinsky's work has always held a fascination for her with his wonderful use of colour and innovation.
Awards:
Finalist Telecom Art Awards 1992
Finalist North Shore City Art Awards 1994 to 2000
NZ Sugar Company Awards at Pumphouse, North Shore, Auckland - Seascape Award - 1995 and 1998, and Merit Award 2003.
Oil Painting Award, Mairangi Arts Centre Members Exhibition 2004
Influences:
The New Zealanders Toss Woolaston and James Nairn, the English artists J.M.W. Turner and John Constable, the Americans, Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer, and the Australian Heidelberg Group have been a source of inspiration in landscape and marine work.
Wallisy Kandinsky's work has always held a fascination for her with his wonderful use of colour and innovation.