Tut Blumental : Artist Statement 

Previously a graphic designer for 20 years, Tut Blumental uses her talent and experience in the design world to fulfil her dream of being a full-time artist.  

Painting is my passion.  I use my art to explore and express my emotions and moods. This gives me the freedom to create for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others, adding depth to my art as it captures the passion and expression of myself and nature. Living in New Zealand I am constantly struck by natural beauty and variety.  Every day I feel privileged to live in a place that has such extraordinary landscapes and atmosphere. I use it as a base to drive the creativity in my paintings. It fuels my passion to have the chance to share it with the world through my work.

 

Tut’s recent works take inspiration from her current location on the Hibiscus Coast.  Using acrylic medium, her abstract landscapes explore the relationships and contradictions in nature by presenting dramatic contrasts between light and dark.  She visualizes the movement of the wind, waves, and clouds to emphasise a particular part of the day or a season.  Rather than paint details, she blends large and small marks in contrasting directions, shades and gradations to create a sense of atmosphere and feeling.  She challenges the observer to also feel the breeze, the chill in the air, to feel that they are inside the moment.  

 

Careful attention to harmony is present in every aspect of her work, from size of canvas to how she chooses colour and applies it.  Tut uses colours to radiate off and blend into each other, creating a magical, atmospheric painting. Tut intends for her colour palette decisions to draw the viewer to encounter the essence of each atmosphere as she strives to evoke an emotive response by capturing a glimpse of what is, for her, the awe and wonder of this world.  Her paintings allow the mind of the viewer to drift into them, taking them to a warm sunrise that is taking over the night sky, or where the pink clouds reflect in the sea’s surface, transforming the water to appear as a never-ending supply of strawberry cream.  Overall, her seamless application and blend of tones and colours make a positive and peaceful impact wherever placed, making them the perfect addition to the home or workplace.

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Sarah Barnett : Artist Statement

Sarah Barnett has always had a passion for all things ‘art’.  Born in Tauranga, New Zealand, she feels a strong connection with the natural beauty of her surroundings and, particularly, the ocean.  Sarah studied art and art history throughout school, then completed a Bachelor of Media Arts degree at the University of Waikato majoring in painting.  After graduating Sarah enjoyed traveling around New Zealand and Australia working in the film industry as a set painter.  

 

Later she founded a greeting card company in Sydney through which her hand-painted cards were sold throughout Australasia.  These varied, creative experiences have contributed to Sarah developing her painterly practice to its present style.  Sarah explores a sense of place through her surrounding environment, provoking emotion through textured layers and subtle colour towards what she terms a ‘gentle complexity’.  Now living on the Hibiscus Coast with her husband and three children, Sarah continues to be inspired by the beauty she finds in local coastlines, never running short of new coastal possibilities to explore with her paintbrush.    

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Phoebe Gander : Artist Statement

Phoebe Gander’s art is inspired by the ocean, skies and beaches where she lives at Wainui Beach, Gisborne.  Phoebe recently returned to art motivated to nurture her own wellbeing whilst attending to the demands of family life with three young children.  She discovered her passion was creating with epoxy resin as well as other fluid mediums, such as acrylic and alcohol inks.  Teaching herself, she has developed her practice using many layers, manipulating pigments and other media to creating depth and intrigue.

 

I am fascinated by creating artworks that look like water but yet are solid. Resin is not an easy medium to work with, but I’ve fallen in love with the challenge of getting a glassy finish and creating the appearance of waves and aerial seascapes. There is something captivating about the ocean that means it’s a never-ending source of inspiration, ever changing with the tides, seasons, and weather... Living just across the road from the beach I can’t help but feel a strong connection to it. 

 

Prior to coming to New Zealand thirteen years ago, Phoebe gained a BA (Honours) in Printed Surface Design from Falmouth College of Arts and focussed on screen-printed fabrics. Today Phoebe describes herself as ‘ocean-obsessed’, snatching every moment she can to experiment with colour through fluid media to express her much-loved new environment. Engaging actively through online platforms, Phoebe has built a significant following as an inspirational resin artist.  

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