Excuse me for 'blowing my own trumpet' but I'm on top of the world as out of the blue on Monday night I was awarded the Premier Prize at the 50th annual Ashburton Society of Arts !!!! Out of over 550 entries and there were many lovely pieces, Neil Roberts the judge ( A Christchurch Art Valuer) said my work was chosen for its harmony, simplicity and that it was commanding on the wall. Here I am with my two pieces, the top one was the winner. Thanks to the Ashburton Trust for their generous prize and the Somerset grocer for the hamper and to all the volunteers who put months into planning and organizing this amazing show. The show is on until May 2nd at the Ashburton art gallery in Baring Square so would love you to go and take a look.
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Yet another of our talented artists at Art Box Gallery has held a hugely successful art exhibition locally. Award winning Sandra Duncan's outstanding drawings and paintings of human life in all its glory and sadness were beautifully displayed for her recent opening at Chamber Gallery in the Rangiora library. A large gathering of friends and art lovers attended the opening as well as her art tutors, Dean Johnstone, John Turner and Margaret Hudson-Were. We are proud to have Sandy's wonderful artwork at Art Box so come and view it soon and then go for a drive before 1st May to Rangiora to see the exhibition. The title of the work is an indication of Sandra's total immersion in her creativity, forgoing the mundane to concentrate on the more important things in life. The artworks will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Congratulations Sandy! Image taken of Sandra Duncan with Brian Hoult, the exhibition organiser. We are absolutely delighted to welcome Suzy Platt to the Art Box Gallery family. Suzy is from Dunedin here on the South Island of New Zealand and an established artist. Her work is highly collectable and we have two brand new pieces available - 'Girl with Kitten' and 'To Dream of Flowers' ( both measuring 20x26cms on canvas and ready to hang) “If I had to explain my work I would say that it is whimsical but at the same time there is a melancholic reality which is always revealed. The characters I paint always have an impish yet dark quality. And yet they are simply reflections of the fra- gility, joy, and fleetingness of childhood. “ Suzy Platt is a remarkably talented artist from New Zealand. She has been painting and exhibiting in local galleries for over 10 years and has developed into one of the countryʼs most sought after and respected artists. She has had several very successful shows with one show famously selling out in just 40 minutes. She also has also won several painting awards and has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions across both New Zealand and Australia. Her works are predominantly portraits of haunting wide eyed young girls caught in their inner domestic world. Her works are identifiably unique - and often people see and fall in love with so much more than just the subject matter of her paintings. Suzy is from a strong artistic family and has been a full time artist for over ten years. Currently in her mid 30's, it is remarkable to think she has many decades of painting ahead of her. Recently described as one of New Zealandʼs leading investment artists, Suzy's works appeal to a wide market. Her paintings have been sold to investment art groups, international buyers as well as to numerous local admirers and the prices her works are fetching reflect the growing demand for them. Suzyʼs work is currently shown at Gallery de Novo, Dunedin, Artbay in Queenstown, Art Box Gallery in Christchurch, and her limited edition prints are exhibited at OCTA Gallery in Cromwell, Central Otago. In Australia her paintings are shown at Jenny Pihan Fine Art in Melbourne and Tiffany Jones Fine Art Gallery in Buderim on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. We will be posting a new page on 'Our Artists' for Suzy listing her awards and publications very soon. Introducing one of our recent arrivals to Art Box, Michaela Cox. Michaela has just completed her Masters in Fine Art and we congratulate her on the recent appointment to a local Christchurch school as an art teacher. The following list of her awards and nominations is very impressive: Master of Fine Arts Dip. Contemporary Photography Transitional City Project Grant Pulp Emerging Photographer Bronze Award Anthony Harper Finalist George Pearce Fees Scholarship WSA Art Awards Finalist James Wallace Finalist ( Artwork acquired for the Wallace Collection) Ronald Woolf Grant recipient At Art Box Gallery we are delighted to have begun representing Michaela Cox. We are able to show you her collection of 10 archival prints in the series 'Flight Craft' and her boxed photo collages. The image above is one example from her series 'Tui'. Happy New Year to all our valued clients and friends. We hope you had a relaxing break over the holiday period. We had a fantastic end to 2013 with lots of paintings flying out of the door either for gifts or for clients homes and businesses. We are now back to our normal hours which appear on the 'About Art Box' page. Wonderful news for one of our talented artists. Christine Lang who had already won the Heartland Bank Award at the Ashburton Art Society Exhibition last year and was runner up in the International Artists Magazine, has won the grand prize for her painting 'Perfect Day Lake Heron' in the prestigious International Artists Magazine! This is truly a great achievement and recognition of her skills as an artist. We are very happy to have her work for sale at Art Box Gallery and it has sold very well. We will be increasing her prices this year as a result so come in soon to take a look at the three or four pieces available. At Art Box Gallery, we like to ensure you are totally happy with the paintings that you purchase. We offer a service where we visit your home and bring artworks to you, thereby taking the worry out of choosing the wrong piece. There is no cost for this service if you are in the Christchurch area. We will work with you in your home or business to achieve just the right look and make a connection with the art. We can also offer ideas on the best size and shape to fit your wall space. In most cases, we are happy to also hang the artwork for you for no cost. Many of our artists are able to undertake commissions so come in to the gallery to discuss your specific requirements. We have such a diverse selection of modern, affordable, art that will enhance your living spaces and give character to your home. You will also be supporting your local artists by choosing art from Art Box. Paper can be the medium on which art finds its true expression. It can also be something on which bank notes are printed. Art can lead to Euphoria and so can money. A lot of families became very happy in the early days of the Euro because they could borrow very cheaply and indulge themselves. Now things are going wrong, especially in Cyprus where savers are set to lose part of their money as the banks are bailed out. Most Kiwis will not be aware but a similar provision is muted for here. Its called "Open Bank Resolution". Yawn, yawn, yawn, who wants to hear about than? The solution is both simple, enjoyable, & enduring. Take some of that paper with ink on it called money and exchange it for some paper or canvas with paint on it called art. Voltaire reminded us "all paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value -zero". A well chosen painting is different. Even if its monetary value does not increase it can still bring years of visual and cultural pleasure - and that in many respects is priceless. |
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