As a country boy born in Quairading John discovered his artistic talent early, at school he became known as the ‘class artist’. John embraced his talent and has continued to paint throughout his life. In recent years with more time and a deep yearning within he has focused his attention on steadily building a body of work.
John says of himself “Being an artist is who I am, it comes from very deep inside,” this drive to paint has been fed by a constant flow of inspiration. Not content to remain with one subject or style John’s work moves from traditional to the surreal and back again. Each crafted work comes with its own insights and commentary on life and he is always pushing his creativity to its limits with new ideas and techniques.
John’s medium of choice is Acrylics; the quickly drying paint allows him to apply the brush while inspiration flows. A perfectionist at heart John will revisit a painting again and again stepping away to let the final image to reveal itself. This often means a steep learning curve working out how to bring his vision to life. He uses dark backgrounds as his base because he likes the way it adds depth and impact – “ I love to bring subjects to life from the dark.”
The Iconic Stockman Series of paintings come hot on the heels of his successful solo exhibition in the Swan Valley in August of 2019. There is limited stock available as editions are running at 100 prints per painting.
Visit John’s website: johnnedkelly.com.au
I took up painting in 2016 after a serious illness prompted a revaluation of my lifestyle and goals. Having been given a terminal cancer diagnosis of 6 to 9 months to live, it was a wakeup call to say the least. I felt the need to spend whatever time I had left enjoying myself. It also ignited a passion to leave something behind for family and friends, something to be remembered by if you will.
One 4 hr Pastel workshop on seascapes got me hooked, I have not put down the pastels since! I quickly started exhibiting and selling paintings as I ran out of wall space. Many of my works are held in private collections in USA, Barbados, Northern Cyprus, Switzerland the UK and here in Australia. Many have been gifted to family and friends or charity and 9 were paid commissions.
I now enjoy painting most subjects and have started to explore other mediums. I continue to attend classes to improve my skills and learn new techniques. I find painting very therapeutic; it takes your mind off everything, and you can forget whatever worries you have.
I have my own website: www.Anniswoodsart.com, Instagram, Facebook and a profile on Bluethumb online Gallery: https://bluethumb.com.au/annis-woods
I serve on the committees of the Pastel Society of WA and North Coast Art Club. I am also a member of Trigg Art Club.
Prizes
Winner People’s Choice – Blue Lizard Gallery – the Art of Instruction Exhibition 2022
Winner Wanneroo and Joondalup Art Association Online Art Competition – Theme Wings 2020
Finalist Sterling Art Award 2021
Category winner Wanneroo Show 2nd Prize Pastel Painting 2019
Category winner Wanneroo Show 1st Prize Pastel Painting 2019
I have always loved painting and began painting professionally thirteen years ago. My formal art education consists of four years of art study at high school followed by a semester at East Sydney Technical College. Although my preferred medium is acrylic I also experiment with mixed media and a variety of styles and subjects. My favourite subjects to paint are seascapes, birds, animals, abstracts and children but I am willing to paint other subjects when commissioned. I love to take on challenges and extend my skills with a variety of subjects, often working on up to four paintings at a time as my mood takes me. I have a large studio attached to my home, which you are welcome to visit, and there is always a painting in progress on one of my easels. My other works can be viewed at https://bluethumb.com.au/jenny-ellis-newman