Upstairs Gallery

2011 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Winner: Kei Park

Untitled - Watercolour

Currently studying bachelor of fine arts at University of Auckland, majoring in painting and illustration. I normally paint with oil and acrylic; however I am always passionate about the unique quality of watercolour medium.

2011 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Runner Up: Diane Rimmer

Mr Wilson, 12 Years - Folded Books

Diane Rimmer (Bachelor of Design/Visual Communication, Unitec) is a local artist whose work has been seen on several Vector Power Boxes, as the winner of the Glen Eden Street Sign Competition, and at exhibitions such as "Metonomy" and "New Graduates" at Corbans Art Estate Gallery in 2010. She also features in the upcoming "How Diversity Works" exhibition at Artstation, Ponsonby, at Auckland Grammars annual Art Exhibition, and as a finalist in Waikato Museum’s "Bold Horizons" art competition. She works from her studio at Corbans Estate Art Centre and also teaches children’s art classes.

2011 Carmela McHardy Merit: Rudi Buchanan-Strewe

Horse Power - Steel & Copper

I used to work with engines and always thought the parts were quite beautiful and a waste to just scrap especially the moving parts. For the last 4years I have been making sculpture in my Karekare studio using several different techniques such as blacksmithing, bronze casting using the lost wax process, and I also work with copper.

About Carmela McHardy: Carmela was a staunch West Auckland Community worker and supporter of art and artists, the late Carmela McHardy organised the Secondary Schools Arts Awards some years ago and was a valued member of the Western Districts Community Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge her wonderful contribution by way of the $500 Carmela McHardy Merit award.

Click here for more about Carmela McHardy

2010 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Winner: David Hilliam

Pod II - Macrocarpa and Nails

Born in 1959, I grew up in east Auckland; I now live as part of the hill tribe of Titirangi, West Auckland.  I have had a strong interest in art since my school days and enjoy drawing & photography, construction and building. My career is in landscape construction and design.  In the last 5 years all these interests have blended into my interest in nail and wood sculptures.

I am completely self taught and think of myself as a weekend warrior artist! A lot of my ideas and the work I am doing come from my observations, involvement with, and inspirations from nature, plants, and gardens. and explores my interest in natural forms and patterns. 

2010 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Runner Up: Jennifer Olberts

Tiny Snail - Photography

I am a year 13 student in high school who has recently become interested in photography, and I am amazed by the world around us. I try to capture the beauty that sometimes people miss in their busy lives, and aim to show them this in my work. I have always been interested in animals and love their beauty and detail, which is why I often feature them in my photographs. I take painting and photography as classes in school because I aim to continue my work and strive towards a career in photography. I have only been actively photographing since the start of this year, so I hope to improve in the years to come.

2009 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Winner: Linda Anne Dixon

Nuance - Oil

My background in art includes a Diploma in visual Arts. Completed in 2007 at Rutherford College, Te Atatu, Auckland. And also Artstation, Painters Studio, Ponsonby Auckland 2008. I frequently find myself in awe of the many birds that live and play in the trees that surround my home and the way they interact, nature tells you that there is beauty in harmony and that is where I receive my inspiration in all its variations

2009 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Runner Up: John Simpson

Twilight Tide - Bethells - Photography

The amazing light and energy that hit me at Bethells, inspired me to do this work. I have a passion to capture and portray the beauty found in our natural world. I have had a love of photography from a young age. My first camera was a Kodak Box Brownie, which I still have today. My first job was at the National Film Unit. I later moved into electronics and computers. When photography went digital, it re-fired my passion. I found I was able to combine my computer skills to enhance my images, which opened up many new artistic possibilities for me. My goal is to be recognised as an artist, and be able to exhibit and sell my work.

John has been inspired by his partner Lyn Simpson. Click here to view her website. 

2008 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Winner: Elise Ure
Rachel - Oil

Three years ago I left high-school feeling that the formal environment was not allowing me to meet my own needs as a creative person.

As a free thinker I immersed myself in personal studies. Eventually I felt brave enough to give in to the temptations of oil paints. what a find! I quickly applied my growing knowledge of the human form and attempted portraiture.

A year or so later of painting, observing and hours of self discovery that have led me to find passion in the human form and, strangely, in architecture, environments and spaces, I have found what it is that set's my mind alight with pleasure.

It is now my dream to apply these loves into my work. I have yet to achieve this, but I look forward to a lifetime of closing the gap between now and then.

2008 TCAC Emerging Artist Runner Up: Annie McIver
Podform and Nepenthes Podform - Earthenware

In 2008 Annie completed her Diploma of Ceramic Art through Otago Polytech and Auckland Studio Potters.

The winning pieces are from a collection of podforms that she created while studying.

"I have always had an interest in natural design and have been experimenting to make some imaginary plants that have some relationship to real ones."

 Podform - Brick Red Earthenware
This piece has some elements of a pitcher plant or Nepenthes, one of the carnivorous plants.

Nepenthes Podform - White Earthenware With Terrasigillata
This piece is an interpretation of Ernst Haeckel's original print of Nepenthes which I have painted onto a curved pod like surface.

Born 1984 Auckland. I trained as a motorcycle mechanic mostly working on restoring classic motorbikes. Often this entailed fabricating or sometimes casting parts. I think I have always had an affinity for working with metal, which lead me to build a forge for blacksmithing when I was 16. I decided I also wanted to learn the technique of metal casting so I taught myself the lost wax casting process and now can cast jewellery in bronze or silver and sculptures in bronze and aluminum. I also like working with copper as I find it is a good material to fabricate and forge into sculptures. Living in the Waitakere ranges surrounded by the bush gives me all the inspiration I need.

Painter

Tony Brown offers us all a vision of perseverance and triumph over turmoil. An enthusiasm to forge a better life is what fuels Tony's passion to create works that inspire powerful and emotive responses: "I want to reach out to people who are stuck". Tony's paintings, which are deeply inlaid with a locality and familiarity and in some cases, are intimately provocative, grapple with issues such as depression, adoption, loneliness and sobriety.

Tony's dark and raw works show an artist who interprets issues with an innate sense of compassion and individuality. Through a process of rehabilitation, Tony rediscovered art as a form of expression from childhood and values the emotions he is able to stir within viewers of his work.

Click here to visit Tony's website

Liz is a book artist with a passion for creating handmade books and journals. She creates deliciously different creations from her studio in Titirangi, West Auckland.

Liz creates books and journals for all occasions such as:

•    Weddings •    Graduations •    Proposal books
•    Recipe books •    New babies •    Funerals (to sign in)
•    Memory books •    Retirement •    Travel albums

Liz sells her work mostly from her studio which you are welcome to visit (by appointment) and sometimes online. Commissioned books are her specialty. If you have an idea in mind for a book she would love to chat with you about it.

Teaching bookmaking and bookbinding are also Liz’s passions. Any student who has attended her classes will tell you they are known as creative adventures! Liz currently teaches in Auckland, Warkworth and Wellington.

www.bookartstudios.co.nz

Textiles

Maxine Jepson has spent her life exploring and discovering the potential of textiles to produce innovative and distinctive art forms. Maxine's career began as a freelance visual merchandiser, her creative and ground-breaking approach fuelled her passion and persistent attraction to textiles, fibres and form.

Ceramic Sculptress

Karen lives in the HendersonValley with her husband and chooks. She has been happily creating ceramic sculpture for 25 years, is largely self taught and has won numerous awards.She is a member of Waitakere Central Community Arts Council, Titirangi Community Arts Council and Titirangi Potters.

She mostly sells her work through New Zealand Galleries.Small Collectables: Dogs, cats, mice, folk figurines, whistles, roosters, clowns, tiles, all in fine white clay, meticulously hand painted, clear glazed and mid fired.Mid Range: Hollow dogs, cats, woodpigeons and other birds, traditionally glazed and mid fired.Large Paper Clay: Dogs, cats, boars, people, slip coloured and glazed, sometimes bronzed work. Weatherproof. mid fired.Public Sculpture: Seat and table in Onehunga Mainstreet, Dragon Seat in Ngataringa Reserve, Devonport. All ferro cement and hand made tiles.

Visit Karen's website on www.karenkennedy.co.nz

Ellen is a mixed media artist.

She has participated in several exhibitions and charity art auctions both as artist and organizer.

Her background is in photography, graphic design and video.

“I enjoy using shapes and textures that sometimes incorporate ideas or effects I have experimented with on the computer.  I am also a video editor/multi media producer, so it is very satisfying, working with the physical and not the virtual aspects of a work to create some dimension and interest.”

Photographer

At the age of 11 Arne Loot already had a darkroom in a wardrobe of his parent’s home in Holland. Ever since photography has remained a lifelong interest for this man with multiple occupations - Sailor, Designer, Builder, Painter, Cook, Farmhand, Musician, Writer and Herpetologist ... you name it.

He arrived in New Zealand in 1952. His first job for 8 years was with the largest Portrait and Bridal Studios, becoming the Manager. Then 3 years with one of Auckland’s leading agencies where he invented his iconic bleach out technique with black and white prints before establishing himself as a freelance photographer for the rest of his life specialising in photographing works of art and antiques for galleries and contemporary artists.

Photographing Art, Antiques etc was a great passion...

A self taught artist who loves to experiment and play with colours, Chirstina McTaggart-Tie has been interested in art all her life.

She came to New Zealand in 1971 from Singapore and is now a  New Zealander. She has been involved in Arts and Crafts, taught Copper Art and makes her own greeting cards. In 2005 she resumed her love for Watercolours.

She is a member of the Titirangi Community Arts Council, Upstairs Gallery and has exhibited there in The Ethnicity Of The Waitakeres exhibition. She has also sold her work privately.

Rag Rug Weaver

“I have been a TCAC member since the  late 80's and am member of Handweavers and Spinners Guild. I am essentially a rag rug weaver, working from my studio at WoodBay on commissions and for exhibition. All my fabric is of the previously used, or the no longer wanted, variety. My addiction to fabric and colour is a passion, and my work is on walls and floors locally, nationally and internationally.”

Recent exhibitions include: Juxtaposition of Journeys and Junk Art at Upstairs Gallery, Fine Threads at Corban Estate Arts Centre and Smart Tarts and Social Butterflies at Signal Gallery.

Painter

Terry Prince is an artist living in Oratia. Growing up and living in West Auckland, he spent the best days of his childhood at Foster’s bay Huia, and as he became old enough to roam, the big surf beaches.

He finds the grand scale, shapes, and endless colour shifts of these places fascinating, and derives great joy from trying to capture them.

An ex student of Garth Tapper and Ralph Venables, he then worked for many years with his long time friend Ted Dutch.

His work is in private collections and galleries throughout New Caledonia, France, the United Kingdom, New York and New Zealand.

As long as I can remember I have always loved jewellery in all its shapes and forms and materials, whether it is a beautifully simple gold Minoan daisy pin or a technically complex Art Nouveau piece by Lalique.
When I was very young I used to love playing with my mother’s jewellery, she kept it in a black and red lacquer musical jewellery box with lots of little velvet lined drawers filled with beautiful antique jewellery, but I think the biggest impression on me at the age of 15 was an exhibition at The Victoria & Albert Museum in London of jewellery from through out the ages.
I moved to Sydney when I was 18 and studied jewellery design & fabrication at Randwick Technical College. After leaving Sydney I worked for manufacturing jewellers in Auckland for several years.
I have now been working from my home workshop in Karekare for the past 10years.

Bachelor Of Fine Arts

Tania Sunde has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design. Tania is the owner of Art Point Gallery and Art Tutoring Studio in Point Chevalier. Art Point Gallery show cases Tania's creative talent and also specialises in nurturing art after school, to young students aged between 8 and 12.
 
Tania exhibits in Auckland and Wellington and her artwork is held in private collections worldwide.

Click here to view Tania's website.

Click here to view Tania's art profile at  www.thebigidea.co.nz

Kia ora! My name is Felix Torres. I'm from Chile but I've been living in Aotearoa (New Zealand) for 6 years. This has been a long journey and on my way I have learned lots of skills that I love to use to create ART.

Aotearoa has given me the resources and inspiration that I need, also a beautiful family who support my work. My work has been developed over 8 months of experimentation and emotional processes to fusion two important topics that can define my technique and style: South American - Pacific art and environmental sustainable art. Both are concepts that you will be able to appreciate in every single piece.

Although I don’t have a degree in fine arts, I have been a worker all my New Zealand life, I’ve been a painter (decorator), hammer hand, water proofing installer, isolation installer, roof painter … so I know how the materials work, what impact they have on the environment and  how to get the most of them. So I can say that working has been my art school.

Functional Contemporary Glass Art

Since 1989 I have been creating this unusual form of glass art. Due to law changes concerning bathroom and accessible windows I started to engrave images onto toughened glass. It gives privacy yet is an art piece. The engraving is a unique approach which I have developed and what sets my work apart from any other glass work. Another unique factor is the combination of engraving and coloured glass. I use the finest glass from Germany and America which is not available in NZ and which I have to import.

My trademark as an artist is in combination of story-telling, beauty and functionality.

Click here to visit Karin's website.

Mixed Media Artist

I am a multimedia artist based in the suburb of Swanson in Waitakere City, Auckland, New Zealand.

Living amongst the native bush of the Waitakere Ranges is a constant source of inspiration. This regions colour, form, movement, pattern and texture influence all my works as does the areas bird life, the native Tui in particular.

Multi media materials range from bamboo, supplejack, harakeke, paper, paint, perspex, clay, fabric, crayon, inks, dyes and found objects.

Past work has included banners, paintings, sculptures and wall hangings.