How do people react to your work?

People have said it lifts up their spirits. Usually they talk about joy and happiness.

Someone once said, “you must have had a wonderful childhood experience to create such joyful work.” They were comparing me with a friend who was painting very dark works, and they said, “he looks like he might have experienced some trauma.” Actually it was the other way around!

I don’t have to try to find that sense of joy in my work. It’s who I am. It’s really what attracts and grabs me. I want to create art that is uplifting when you look at it.

Is it easy to tap into that emotion when you’re painting?

I think that sometimes the faster you work, the more emotion there is. You could describe so much with very few brush strokes and for me, that’s where true art comes. Of course, you can spend hours and weeks and months on a painting. It’s the same with words. You can say something with few words, or you could say the same thing with thousands of words. What’s more powerful?

That’s why it’s hard. Sometimes people ask me, “how long did it take you to create that?” Well the thing is, the quicker I create it, the more powerful it is. When it takes longer, it weakens.

I wouldn’t say I’m creating art. I think the art happens in the reaction of the person who views it. Someone might look at it and experience nothing, and someone else might start to cry.

Does inspiration come easily to you?

I never have to try to find inspiration. It’s always there.

For me, the challenge has always been wanting to paint but struggling to find the time. It’s never the other way around.

As a professional artist you make the time. You start painting and while you’re doing it you get into the mood and the space. If inspiration isn’t coming, simply don’t sit and wait: just start doing it and while you are you’ll get into the zone.

The more you do, the better you get, and the more enjoyment you get out of it. It’s addictive.

You don’t always get the feeling you want. Quite often, when I’m painting, I look at it and I think, “that’s terrible”, but then you walk away and think wow! Of course, other times you think, “wow, it’s so cool, I’m enjoying it”, and then you walk away and look and it’s awful!

It’s important to know when to stop. If it doesn’t feel good, leave it. I only have energy to paint for about four hours a day - sometimes only two - before I feel like I’m running out of that good energy. Then I know I’m not actually making it better: I’m fiddling, but it’s going downhill. That’s when I walk away. Sometimes I might leave it for a long time.

I am inspired by other artists. I discover beautiful artwork every day on Instagram.

Some artists worry that if they watch and study other artists too closely, that they may end up in a place where they’re copying. What are your thoughts about that?

I think that if you’re learning, that’s good. In art school we were copying old masters. Even if you try to be like someone, in time you will develop your own style.

Of course, there are just so many styles and ways of working which means it’s very hard to create something totally new. For example, I discovered a technique in watercolour that took me a couple of years to develop. Then, afterwards I discovered someone else who was using exactly the same technique! I’d never seen that artist’s work.

You tend to be influenced, perhaps by someone who’s class you’ve taken, and that’s okay. You can learn so many things from other artists, but I think we are all so unique. Now matter how much you try to be like someone else, in the end the world will be your own. It’s like your handwriting.

I really value skill. Good art is the combination of so many things. There are a lot of good ideas, but if the skill isn’t there it doesn’t work. It’s not often the other way around. It takes years and years to develop skill, and once it’s there the ideas will come.

​You’ve run art workshops and also one-on-one tuition. How did you get started teaching?

Put Some Colour in your Life gave me a lot of exposure. They filmed me for four hours, and then put it across in 20 minutes, and for some reason he put me across as a teacher, which I wasn’t at the time.

People started enquiring about tuition and workshops, and I wasn’t sure about it.

I thought, “what would be a price that I would be happy to do this for?” Organising group workshops is not me. I don’t like administration and stuff like that. But if someone organises a group of ten people and pays me $800 a day, I’ll come. It doesn’t happen often, which is the way I like it. I do maybe two workshops a year, and maybe ten weeks a year where people come to the house. But that’s it.

It’s not that I don’t like it, but I need to find a way of teaching where I don’t get drained.

So it sort of happened by accident?

For many years, I never thought I could be a teacher. I think you can be a good artist but not a god teacher, or the other way around. To begin with I found it hard because I thought painting was all about intuition, and I didn’t know how to articulate it. But, I went to America and did a few workshops and found the words.

Art is a learnable thing. Pretty much anyone could learn to paint or draw.

Do you think everyone would agree with that?

No. But what I’m saying is true… if you put enough time into it.

What I’ve started understanding, and I wish I was taught it at art school, is that everything in art is logical. If it’s logical, it’s learnable. You just have to take the time and work step-by-step to learn it. 

Everyone can become an artist. That doesn’t mean everyone will be exceptional; but they can learn it.

So, for you, it’s about the art. Teaching is not what you love, but you still think it’s important to share what you know?

Oh, yes! There’s so much joy that I have from my art, and I want to share that with others. People have done that for me in the past. Nancy Tichborne was one of them. She introduced me to a layering technique which opened new horizons for me!

In the Ukraine I had no-one to look up to as an artist. I had no-one to inspire me. As a child, I was in an institution, which was a horrible place, and I went to art school as a way to escape. But even at art school we never saw the teachers painting. And under communism, you only saw work in museums.

Now, in New Zealand and with the internet, it has been so amazing to discover other artists.

How many people do you follow on Instagram?

Probably 100 or 200.

I probably spend half an hour a day browsing instagram to look at other artists’ work. But what fascinates me is the marketing thing. Not how to paint, but how to present yourself and how to explain what you’re doing. Sometimes you don’t even need to post a finished painting, you can share your process.

For me, social media isn’t about what I’m putting into it, it’s about what I’m getting out of it. Sometimes people say, “thank you for sharing, it’s so good to see your process”, and It’s encouraging. To be honest, I think, “who would give a damn what I’m doing”.

The internet has turned every artist into a business person. There’s a pressure to have a website, and be on instagram, and market your work. What is your experience of this?

Three years ago I didn’t even have a Facebook page, and I knew that I was one of the last artists to do that.

I’ve had varied experiences with galleries, and I think it’s important for artists to develop confidence about the value of their work and how it should be priced. Some work is over-priced and some work is under-priced; I see it all the time.

Social media is a good thing because it means you’re in charge of your own promotion.
​
How do you decide on your prices?

It’s very hard. You have to look at other work that is selling and you have to have a feel for the market. Pricing is pure business. Sometimes you might choose prices and not sell, and then you have to meet the market. Unfortunately there’s no consistency.

Ten years ago I struggled to put an exhibition together because it was selling so fast, and at the moment it’s building up a bit.

I will still paint, whether I sell or not. When I sell, it’s such a bonus but it’s not the main reason I paint.

What would you say to people who aspire to be a professional artist?

It’s not that glorious. It’s so much hard work. Being an Artist can also be a very lonely occupation. If you prepared to spend hours and hours by yourself in the studio then it’s for you.

You have to be prepared to work really really hard. I don’t have any magic talents. Everything I can do I’ve developed over a long time. It’s all learnable.

When I look at my work, I see what I want to keep learning.

Written by
George Arthur-Amohau

Images of artwork courtesy of
Svetlana Orinko

Photography by
​George Arthur-Amohau

With an increasingly vast range of social media platforms and the affordability of ecommerce websites allowing artists to directly connect with potential collectors, it is natural to question the value of art galleries to artists.

Here, as part of an ongoing series, Gallery Owner Vicki Fox discusses six ways galleries play a vital role in any successful artist's career.

Focus on what’s important

As an artist, your primary focus should be on creating your art and galleries help artists to have the time to to do this. Marketing yourself, doing markets, dealing with enquiries, arranging postage quotes, invoicing customers, and packaging and posting works all take time and can limit your income. A gallery's job is to do all of the above as well as dealing with returns, missing parcels and following up with the client. This leaves you with time to focus on your creative work.


Let collectors eyeball your work

While we all look at and admire work on social media, there is something to be said about seeing a piece ‘in the flesh’.

Galleries allow us to view the colours as they are, rather than through the skewed settings of a screen; to see the scale, brush strokes and textures; to admire the way a work casts shadows and reflections; to observe the piece from different angles; to touch and hold small sculptural pieces; to feel the weight of a pendant around your neck; or to appreciate the texture of an unglazed vessel. Small interactions like these are meaningful experiences for potential buyers and can’t be achieved via social media.


Increase your reach

Representation in a gallery increases your potential audience. Galleries allow you to show your work in multiple locations and to be seen by potential buyers that may never discover you online. They act as advocates for your work and good galleries will communicate to customers the story behind you and your art when appropriate.

Most galleries can tap into their own database and find potential buyers for your work, sometimes without the work even going on show. A gallery increases the visibility of your work through exposure both online and in store and they access customers that may not have the time or inclination to search through the Internet to find a work they admire.

As a gallery owner, there have been several occasions where I have made note of a client looking for a specific style or type of work and sold a piece without it ever going on display.


Be represented by professionals 

Part of an art gallery's job is to promote the artists they represent. Many artists find it challenging to promote their own work. It is the role of gallery professionals to promote the work of the artists they represent, and they do this in a way that is educational and insightful. 

Where sometimes self-promotion can feel difficult, a gallery is able to promote an artist and their success in an informed and professional way. A gallery employee voicing that they think the artist's work is likely to increase in value comes across entirely differently to an artist claiming this themselves.

If you’re feeling nervous about promoting your work, it’s likely that you won’t do it in the best way. Approaching a gallery ensures you have a team of professionals on your side to help.


Feel supported

Being an artist can be a lonely and isolating career. A good gallery should be a source of support, feedback and advice to their artists. They can advise artists on pricing and discuss what customers are responding to or looking for whilst encouraging the artist to retain their unique style.

Galleries should also help to motivate and boost their artists when sales drop or enthusiasm is lacking and can give critiques that help further the artist's practice.

Through exhibition opportunities, galleries provide the motivation to produce a cohesive body of work within a set time period. This can be a challenge to achieve on your own without a deadline.


Develop an art community

Having a good relationship with a gallery can help grow the art community as a whole. Galleries take on both emerging and established artists and while the established artists may be the drawcard for visitors, often they will discover artists they’ve never heard of on display in the same space. These discoveries are vital for emerging artists and can lead to purchases and new followers.

If you look at the online profiles of some of your favourite established artists, chances are they are represented by at least one gallery. This is in part because of the many benefits a gallery offers and also because there can be a certain amount of prestige associated with being represented by an art gallery.

​In 1995 I  was the president of the Noah's Ark Playgroup which was held in an old Convent. Each of the groups that used the place was required to contribute to a fundraiser for it. They asked me to be in charge of a creche and candy floss machine. With a  boisterous 7 year old, a 3 year old who rarely slept and a new born the prospect sounded like my worst nightmare so it came to me that the building would be great for a murder mystery night.

I wrote the show for it in collaboration, the shows were very successful, other organisations asked for the script and then I got going on writing more and selling more.

We had one of the few websites in 1997 and I mostly sold these interactive dinner theatre shows to the USA.

In 2001 I collaborated with my very good friend Debbie Wright and we wrote a kids musical and I directed it at the St James Theatre in Gore. This came about out of frustration at trying to find a decent kids show that extended and showcased their immense talent and freedom to create. It was very successful and things progressed from there.

Monica Moore Productions didn't get started until 2001, previously it was called other names but a marketing advisor told me to use it as 'Monica Moore" had a memorable ring to it. Many of my friends have commented that I'm certainly not forgettable.
​

That's a tricky one. A couple of my Dinner Theatre shows are still running after 20 plus years... One is in the middle of the United States and one in a restaurant in New York. At the time I sold them for a one-off cost of $250, never thinking that they'd do more than a couple of shows.

Noah, the first show I ever wrote, was re-written so that a community theatre group in London could put it on. They asked me if I had a full-length version of it, I said yes and then spent the next 48 hours writing it. My friend Debbie arranged some extra music and the script got sent off in time.

I was in an airport in Sydney a few years axgo and got chatting to a couple from England. They'd come over to see their granddaughter in her school production in Melbourne. I asked the name of the school. They show they'd gone to see was written by me.

Recently, I was in Samoa and met a couple from Gore. I asked them if they'd seen Mamma Mia down there. They had and the woman said "Monica Moore directed it. She's from Auckland" It's probably the only time in my life that I'll get to say, "I am Monica Moore." It was very funny.

I'm sure I've got a good dollop of ADD as ideas are always pinging around. I'm very slowly writing a show based on NZ theme and real experiences.
​
I'm hoping to collaborate on the music and have it ready for fringe festivals somewhere in 2019. I've written a children's book that goes with one of my shows and it's about the environment as well as friendships and self-belief. It's a chapter book with headphones to sing along to the songs. I think it will be useful to engage kids who are not big on reading but love adventures and to sing.
​

The 'key' is to never take yourself too seriously, but believe in what you're doing. Theatre is dramatic so expect to work with 'dramatic' people from time to time. Have a good laugh, work really hard and keep going. The only way forward is forward.
​

Helen Riley-Duddin is the owner of Tinch Design and a founding designer of Dunedin’s premiere collective design store, Guild. While setting up for one of her workshops, we caught up with Helen to talk about Guild and building connections between designers and the local community.

Guild is a beautiful retail & gallery space set in Dunedin’s historic Moray Place Arts Quarter. It’s the first project of Dunedin Designed INC - a non-profit society conceived to support Dunedin designers, artists and makers. The store is staffed, 100% of the time, by one of our twelve resident designers.

This means that to operate the store six-days, we each work a weekly, half-day shift. Customers are always served by a designer on duty which helps to extend the designer's stories from maker to customer. People love to meet the makers; it's a unique and meaningful shopping experience.

Guild provides 12 designers a small part of the CBD to sell their wares; a place where, independently, we probably wouldn't or couldn’t be. We share fixed costs, and sales reimbursements go directly back to the designers, who each share approximately one square metre of shop “real estate”.

The current12 designers has evolved and grown from the founding five who initially worked together to found the Society and start the shop. At the time we were a mix of acquaintances with some friendships already established. We were all in similar places with our labels: ready to have a presence in the CBD to complement our web presence, and to have a base retail store to collectively sell from.

To begin with we had representatives from a broad cross-section of design disciplines: fashion, jewellery, and homewares. The mix of product offerings ebbs and flows with each new designer: recently we've had perfume, fine art, ceramics, skincare, textiles join the mix.

Yes, a dynamic part of the shop’s offering is that, every month, the stock changes. Every four weeks we showcase and sell products from other creatives around Aotearoa. These are our pop-up guests whose products are selected to complement our existing ranges and offer an ever-changing experience for our visitors. This is generally an invite-only opportunity. Having a curator managing the pop-up designers maintains a consistently high-quality and diverse range of stock; representative of creative work from around the country.

For our pop-up guests, it’s an amazing opportunity to expand their reach into Dunedin city. They can raise their profile and generate some sales without the typical consignment agreement or retail margins. Being run by a non-profit society means the shop aims to support these designers; helping to tell their stories and to grow their independent labels. We manage to run the pop-up opportunity on a zero-commission model. Guests only pay a fixed rental sum that helps to cover the running costs of the shop. The pop-up spots are highly coveted and well earned by the designers who are invited. 

Absolutely! There are three ways to be involved with Guild. 

Resident designers are locals who are permanently involved in the shop. They help to staff the store every week and their products have a permanent place in store, managed by them. The opportunity to become a resident designer is rare, but comes up when one of our current residents moves on. We like to have a pool of keen, local designers for when the opportunity arises, so expressions of interest to join Guild are always welcomed. We'll always put a call out when there is a vacancy. Interested designers can visit our website for more information.

Pop-up designers, as mentioned above, are generally contacted by our curator and booked several months in advance, but we also welcome designers and makers of high-quality, unique goods to introduce themselves and their wares. We are always interested in discovering new talent and aim to showcase a diverse mix across a year. Designers can email popup@guiddunedin.co.nz or visit our website to learn more about this.

Also, we are working to extend the programme of creative workshops on offer through Guild. Our resident and pop-up designers are encouraged to offer these, but the opportunity exists for other creatives to run a workshop as well. So far, we’ve had workshops covering painting, book-binding, ceramic crafting and illustration, and we’ve had amazing feedback from people who've taken part. Our aim is to offer more regular opportunities for the community to 'meet the maker' and learn new skills. 

I think it's fair to say we experience highlights almost every week. Whenever we sell each other’s work, there's this sense of excitement, support and validation. We know each other’s work and are able to help customers to find the ideal piece, or have something made especially by one of our colleagues. It's really encouraging for all of us.

We've had some great publicity in our first two years, including stories in Harpers Bizarr, Air NZ Kia Ora magazine, Your Home & Garden magazine, Mindfood and the local Otago Daily Times. They’ve all helped to extend our reach and tell our story and each time someone mentions an article there's that sense of success all over again. Just recently, we were successful in receiving some funding from the Dunedin City Council in support of our efforts. It is a huge sense of achievement to have the recognition that our aims are in line with the City's strategy for economic development, particularly for the arts and design. It means we can continue to focus our energy on things like our workshop programme, and our work with the Otago Polytechnic design school where we have a growing relationship to support emerging designers.

Probably, our overriding challenge is time! The store is run by the Society, and our members are volunteers who each have their independent design businesses and projects to focus on. All accomplishments are due to the kindness and dedication of our members and generosity of time given to grow the shop and achieve our aims. At every meeting there's so many ideas for growth, evolution, and improvement, which are all really time-dependent. Looking back at what we've achieved in two years, though, it's incredible what a creative collective can do with pockets of spare time and energy.

Perhaps the rules of our founding Society are the keystone to the success of our model. Whenever there's been any uncertainty, they've helped to steer the course.

A shared aim, a unified concept, a collective commitment, and a common sense of purpose from all members also helps our model to work. Each of us contributes something unique and has strengths in different areas. Fostering these different strengths is really important. Combining our skills and networks, and learning from each other is central to our success and we're really proud of what we've accomplished together.

Written by
George Arthur-Amohau

Photographs by
George Arthur-Amohau

Every visit to Guild, a collective design store nestled in the heart of Dunedin’s historic Moray Place Arts Quarter, provides a unique opportunity to meet one of the store’s 12 resident designers. Growing from a founding group of just five, the store’s designers represent a cross section of design disciplines from fashion and jewellery to fine art, ceramics and homewares.

Working a half-day shift each week in order to staff the store, each designer is afforded approximately one square metre of premium CBD real estate. In addition to the resident designers, Guild operates a coveted space for ‘pop-up designers’; providing creatives from all over New Zealand the opportunity to showcasing their work.

Helen Riley-Duddin, resident designer and one of the store’s curators, has been central to the store’s development, and says that the Guild provides a unique opportunity for customers to meet the makers. “It’s a unique and meaningful shopping experience”.

Guild also connects the community with designers through a programme of workshops that cover a range of creative topics such as painting, book-binding, ceramics and illustration. “We've had amazing feedback from people who've taken part in our workshops to-date”.

Guild is located at 45 Moray Place, Dunedin and is open Monday to Saturday each week. You can also visit their website, guilddunedin.co.nz.

​Read the full interview with Helen Riley-Duddin here.

A walk around Christchurch, a city in the full-swing of redevelopment, is almost a sensory overload. But, rather pleasingly, amidst the seemingly endless construction, the rumble of trams and the glittering new buildings you’ll find an invigorating array of artworks. The street art and a quirky array of installations that have sprung up in spaces all over the city are enjoyed by the community and visitors alike.

Embracing this urban evolution, Fiksate, a studio and gallery in the heart of the city’s post-earthquake east, is drawing crowds with its mix of contemporary urban art. The studio and gallery space is a collaboration between artists Jenna Brown, Nathan Ingram and Clint Park (aka Dr. Suits, Jen_Heads and Porta) who came together following the creation of a collaborative work for Spectrum Street Art Festival in 2015.

Predominantly a working space, Fiksate opens for set hours only during exhibitions. “Our gallery is run by artists and is a working studio, so 85% of the time, we are using it as just that: our working space,” Brown explains.

The gallery hosts a number of exhibits throughout the year including CAP’D: an annual street, graffiti and urban contemporary art exhibition. The current show, ‘Face Value’ brings together a diverse array of artists connected by their desire to depict faces.

“This is the most cohesive group exhibition we've put on. All the artists involved and the work on show are outstanding and we had a great opening night. We've had excellent feedback from the artists and public alike". The Fiksate team are now working on getting all the artwork up on their website so it can be seen by an even larger audience.

Fiksate is also home to typewriter collector, writer and abstract artist, Jon King; and, more recently, two up-and-coming music producers by the name of Crooked Lids. Excited about collaborative possibilities, Brown has already begun thinking of potential art and music combinations.

‘Face Value’ will run at Fiksate until December 17 and is well worth a visit. With varied opening hours, it’s worth checking out their website, fiksate.com, to plan your visit.