My childhood laid the groundwork for where I’m at as an artist, as I often found myself either drawing, reading or constructing something while dealing with an on again/off again disability.
Life prodded me in this direction, and a subliminal need to gain some control surfaced in the form of my art. And well, it’s kind of cool when you find your niche. More than a decade of summers spent at Hahei in my youth stirred a love of the sea and the natural world generally, and there has always been an inner compulsion to create.
That compulsion inevitably draws upon one’s psyche, making its presence felt in the bones of a work. Exhibiting that work is a little like laying one’s soul bare and putting it up for sale … but you hope someone will ‘get it’ and preferably want to take it home with them, though sometimes you just don’t want to let it go either.
I’m a bit of a stickler for detail, and that’s where you’ll find much of my effort, not only in the execution, but also in the ideas behind the piece. The creative process is something continuing and compelling and I’ve a list of ideas which in all likelihood I’ll never, ever manage to complete.
From purely representational oil paintings mostly comprising birds, I’ve increasingly begun to include symbolic elements in my work, so a piece can operate on multiple levels and have a narrative, evoke memories, or even have a bit of fun, rather than be a purely aesthetic device.
Flight, faith, symbolism, surrealism, Kiwiana and a long time fascination with East Asian art … all these ingredients and more find their way into the blend in one way or another.
And because frankly sometimes I want a break from just painting, I’ve given in to the urge to rework our iconic ‘national toy’ with an ongoing Buzzy Bee series referencing popular culture and skirting the fringes of the designer toy movement … sort of.
Lots of practical challenges, frustrations and fun for myself therein. Examples of these were selected as finalists in both the 2018 and 2020 Miles Art Awards at the Tauranga Art Gallery, another also winning its category at Art Waikino in 2024, where I also won the ‘supreme award’ in 2009 for my painting ‘Fruit Flies’.
Along my journey I’ve created small murals, worked as an upholsterer, an art school technician and studied decorative paint finishes (Unitec), graphic design and contextual studies (MIT). Finding a personal style wasn’t something I ever thought about consciously … it fortuitously just ‘happened’ at some point and I’ve no doubt it’ll develop/mutate further. A small selection of my work and prints can be found at Waihi Beach Gallery. I’ve also exhibited with Inspirit Gallery (Tamahere) and Zeayou Gallery (Taupo).
Facebook: Richard Macdonald Artist
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