Upstairs Gallery

2010 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Winner: David Hilliam

Pod II - Macrocarpa and Nails

Self taught, I do this as a hobby in my spare time.

2010 TCAC Emerging Artist Award Runner Up: Jennifer Olberts

Tiny Snail - Photography

I am a year 12 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.

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

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...

•    35 years for Peter Webb galleries and auctioneers, including Sotheby's. 12 years with the Art New Zealand magazine, 3 years for the Auckland City Art Gallery.
•    Photography for galleries has included: New Vision, Dennis Cohn, The Mill, Barry Lett, R.K.S., John Leech, Dunbar Sloane, and Gow Lansford.
•    Privately for many artists including Friedensrich Hundertwasser.
•    Commercially for Air New Zealand, Watties, Tip Top, Eta and Winstone.
•    Photography for more than a dozen books including the very successful 'Gottfried Lindauer', 'Colin McCahon' and 'Jonathon White'.
•    Arne has exhibited in many venues, once simultaneously with the late Brian Brake. An exhibition of his private photography 'Then And Now' was held at the Upstairs Gallery in February-March 2006.

Internationally recognised for the quality of his work, he has received numerous awards including Kodak Photographer of the Year, RKO Film Studios, Golden Needle Award in Chicago, photographic design in Hong Kong and Golden Scoop in the USA.

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, and New Zealand.

Carol Rewega is an emerging, self-taught artist. Her inspiration is nature - with a special affinity for trees. Born and raised in the semi-wilderness of Canada (avoiding bears & cougars whilst playing in her mountain forest backyard), then travelling to faraway places, she settled in Aotearoa and has now spent over 20 years in the 'wild west' of Waitakere. Going for a bush walk has never felt so wonderfully safe!

Working from the premise that a painting is not finished until she absolutely loves it, each piece of artwork has taken months to reach that level of completion. Applying multi-layers of paint with everything ftrom brushes to sponges to fingertips, Carol's goal is to make each painting a journey into nature itself - where one can enter into her artwork and enjoy it forever ...

Kiln Cast Glass Objectmaker

Essentially a self taught artist, my craft skills employed in object making have been garnered though community based art education programmes, supplemented by the generous sharing of knowledge that takes place within New Zealand's many small independent professional studios & workshops.
 
Art is a gift, a conduit to communicate across the barriers of race, language, culture and generation, a message of hope for humanity.   
 
Since early childhood I have had an unquenchable passion for the marine & freshwater environment, as an object maker the material qualities of glass with its 4th dimensional depths and distortions, provides an alluring hypnotic medium within which to explore this mysterious affliction.

Image: Helen Cossey

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