Artist Profiles:

Marie Wilson

Born in Queenstown, educated at the University of Otago, Marie has a BA (Hons) in Geography.  Whilst she has had no formal training as an artist Marie has attended art classes extramurally. She has always enjoyed designing, sewing, drawing and interior design as hobbies and commenced a degree course in Design. She also studied Studio Practice in Textile Design. After eighteen months as an adult student Marie decided to drop out and focus on photography and painting.

When Marie moved to Wellington in the early 1980’s she flatted in Hobson St in Thorndon, in the house of Freddie and Evelyn Page. Eve taught her about painting and the life of an artist and her interest in Fine Arts was kindled. Many years later with two young children, she began attending Art Therapy classes as the result of a car accident. After doing commissions for friends Marie decided to paint the paintings she felt like painting, to frame them and put them on the walls of her home in Khandallah. Landscapes of Central Otago featuring strong geographic elements developed as a theme as Marie thought about global warming and reflected on her student field trips to Bannockburn. How the landscape was changing … what was a rabbit ravaged hillside may now be a carefully tended slope with Pinot Noir grapes. She believes New Zealand is a lucky country - small enough and remote enough to adapt to climatic changes.

Marie had a working career in sales and marketing in the IT Industry, and has channeled that experience into establishing an art portal and blogg to enable  artist friends to sell to a global audience.  It is called www.matakanui.com after the name of the valley where she grew up.

As well as selling privately Marie has exhibited at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.

Nigel Wilson - Born in Wellington, educated at Canterbury University of Fine Arts, and teacher trained, Nigel has painted full time for a number of years.  He has lived in Alexandra since 2000 where, from his picturesque home studio, he paints the scenery around Central Otago and further afield.

Nigel continues to exhibit regularly and is well represented by galleries throughout the country.  He is a frequent guest artist, judge and tutor.  Nigel’s paintings are expressive and vibrant, seeking to avoid detail and cliche yet capturing the vitality and distinct character of the New Zealand Landscape.  Nigel’s works can also be viewed at:  Oedipus Red Gallery, Auckland; Artworks Gallery, Wanaka;  Central Art Gallery, Queenstown;  Fishers Fine Arts Gallery, Christchurch; Art South, Gore; Moray Gallery, Dunedin; Red Gallery, Nelson; Red Tussock Gallery, Alexandra; Hullabaloo Art Space, Old Cromwell Town; Home Gallery, Ferris Road, RD 3, Alexandra