A stroke of inspiration

Alice Berry

One of my fave artworks I made with Resene paints is called Calm of the Sea/Laolao. I worked with Resene Blue Night, Resene Wax Flower, Resene Bismark and Resene Quarter Rice Cake for that piece. The artwork was bold and abstract and was featured on a magazine cover.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

I definitely DIY but I am definitely not a DIY perfectionist!

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

Nature and travel are my biggest inspirations. I love Spanish, Moroccan, Peruvian and Asian cultures. They have so much colour and texture in everything they do and create.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Do what feels right to you and trust your gut. Also, comparison is a killer to creativity so learn to just be yourself.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

New couches! I’d love some super cosy, comfy couches but my cat Larry is a little ratbag and scratches them up, so for now it can wait. I also have some DIY mini side tables in the works, so time will tell on those ones!

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

David Attenborough! I could listen to his soothing voice and words of wisdom all day and night. Robyn Kahukiwa is another fave of mine, and if I could sit and listen to her tell her story, that’d be so great.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

To control the weather! Then we could have lovely summer days but also the perfect amount of rain so we could try and counteract some of the climate change we’re experiencing.

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months?

Pink, pink, pink! All shades of pink.

Arnie Arnold

As an artist, I also like to experiment with different products and how they’re used, such as putting contrasting sheens and textures next to one another. I like using Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path on feature brick walls, as the texture of the product absorbs light and you tend to want to touch its grainy surface. My favourite colour in that range would have to be Resene Abel Tasman – a deep olive that works with so many varied neutrals. I also really like Resene Robin Egg Blue from the Karen Walker Paints range, which is a subtle cactus tone, and Resene Urbane, which was a lovely colour that featured heavily in my series of paintings commissioned for Totem Road. Resene Blue Chalk is a soft lilac that is heavenly mixed with the earthy greys and washed-out seashore sand tones that were featured in this abstract painting series, which I created with Resene paints.

What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?

Years ago, I created an abstract feature mural for a restaurant that was reminiscent of a French bistro from the 1960s. It was splashed with vibrant abstract shapes and the tones added so much warmth and energy to the space.

I’m currently working on another restaurant mural for Kimusabi, a vegan sushi train and bar that will be opening soon in Enmore, Sydney. The mural consumes the space’s walls and ceilings with a back-lane street art vibe. There is always a variety of surfaces that need to be painted on these types of job sites, including brick walls, plaster walls, concrete and timber. The majority of my work is commissioned artworks or murals, so creating scenic displays across so many different substrates always calls for high-quality specialty paints – which is why I like using Resene.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

Both, in a sense. I tend to always have assistants – even if it’s just someone to run ideas off of or tell me I’m crazy so I can get perspective on where I’m going with a project or idea. Sharing art studios is always rewarding as it allows you to see what people are motivated by. I do like to work within boundaries, as it tends to get to the result in a much quicker manner. I’m very hands-on, and on a job site, I am always proclaiming the importance of lighting placement as this ultimately is the mood switch to the space – even though it’s generally others doing that part of the work.

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

In Sydney, it would be this amazing imported magazine store called Journals in Paddington. The top level of Berkelouw Paddington also carries second-hand books and is a great avenue for rare finds about creative expression.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Fearlessly approach industry leaders with organised ideas and present them well, reach out and collaborate with other creatives to produce and release them, move on to the next thing and repeat. Use the knowledge of other individuals and harness their strengths where yours are undeveloped. Use this as an avenue for the accumulation of skills that can be used at a later period.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

It’s not for myself, but it’s something I’m inspired to do. I’d love to work on the exterior surfaces of a private home that made its way to the interior. I have a dream to empty a swimming pool of water and create an abstract painted mural that would cover the pool’s surfaces, which would optically transcend from the water’s surface to a rear feature wall. Almost like octopus tentacles abstractly consuming the domestic space.

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

It would have to be counter-culture leader from the 1960s, Timothy Leary. We would talk about how to motivate a generation. I’m quite interested in revolutionaries. I feel our generation is lost and consumed by the synthetic and controlled and bound by over-reaching powers.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A smell barrier, or something that works on a frequency level that could be turned on and off, which would stop smells penetrating your desired energy field.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

It’s not so much a superpower but I would love a digital friend; a personal AI that would be present to help achieve my ultimate life desires that could make decisions on most (or all) the mundane things that cramp life for me – similar to the film Her by Spike Jonze.

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?

We are heading into a more colourful period that will be a clash of different style periods and hues. I think we’ll see bright, primary-influenced tones that have been muted in a subdued way, where people will use strong tones to form a maximalist outcome with a definite late 70s/early 80s direction – like warm earthy browns and desert reds meeting neon yellow and blue-speckled concrete.

Bastian Allfrey

My first floral painting was called Aged Bouquet, which was the start of my entire floral series. It ended up being purchased by a famous Brisbane comedian and really drove me to where I am today.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

DIY perfectionist.

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

Being outdoors in my local Queensland hinterland, in my favourite plant nurseries or in my local florist.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Persist more and reinvest more back into your work.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Definitely my kitchen, or some kind of large exotic rug.

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

Definitely David Choe, a contemporary artist from Los Angeles. He is a wild character and a huge idol in my art world.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

Something handheld that can both shake up and also close the lids down on my hundreds and hundreds of tins of paint.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Pausing time and space.

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?

I think there will be more warm tones around. I’d love to incorporate these in my artwork, as I get inspired by the colours of earthy stone and wood.

Hikurangi Edwards

My favourite project changes as fast as I create my next artwork, so it’s often the latest thing I’m working on.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

When it comes to painting, I prefer to do it myself. Last year, we re-carpeted our home and took the opportunity to repaint it throughout in Resene Black White. We have young children so we used Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen to make it easier to wipe the walls. I enjoy the painting process, especially getting to the end.

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

I find a lot of inspiration in books and podcasts, and I love a good thesis focusing on my culture. Also, any opportunity to listen to kaumātua or experts willing to share their knowledge is inspirational gold.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Spend more time outside.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Repaint the exterior of our house and roof. We have a bungalow style home that has been extended which is white with a green roof and green trim everywhere. I would love to repaint it all white on white, possibly with a black roof and door.

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

I would love the opportunity to sit and hear from the wife of Te Whiti o Rongomai, who is my namesake. Te Whiti is a prominent figure for us, but I’d like to know how she felt about his actions and those around her at that time.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A desk that’s portable, height adjustable, fully-rotatable, would lean like an architectural drafting table and would hold up to 15kg.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

The ability to pause time.

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?

In the coming months, I think autumnal greens will be popular. I’m currently completing a six-piece set of the mountains in the Wellington area for an upcoming NZ Art Show which features Resene Bush, Resene Half Forest Green, Resene Celtic, Resene Harp and Resene Alabaster.

Stephen Burke

My favourite sculpture to date is Hope (Why Does It Hurt So Much?) simply because it reflects my love of colour and is also the piece that presented me with the greatest challenge in terms of blending the tones on each panel. I’m delighted with the outcome.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

It really depends on the scale of the work required. I am happy to give things a go and I am very practical and good with a hammer. However, there is always that job where you know that it’ll be so much better to get someone in who knows what they are doing. When it comes to my sculptures, I certainly don’t have the equipment or expertise to build these pieces. Though they are my design, I engage professionals to fabricate them.

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

I find Europe incredibly inspiring: the art galleries, the museums and the incredible architecture. It never ceases to feed my soul.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

This too will pass.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

I am really enjoying the wallpaper renaissance we are experiencing right now. I would love to wallpaper the entire bedroom – not just a feature wall, but all of it.

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

The 18th Dynasty architect Senenmut who designed the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, Egypt. It is an incredible building to behold in real life. Senenmut’s vision, his use of space and form, his use of the square column, the majestic ramp with its sense of arriving – every aspect of his design and layout appeals to me.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

Acrylic mirror that does not scratch so easily. I would love to use acrylic mirror much more, particularly on the external elements of my sculptures, yet it is just too susceptible to obvious scratching.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

I don’t even have to think about this one. I’ve always wanted to have wings and fly. I love adventure and I love the sky.

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?

I see a move to more sumptuous, luxurious colours – sophisticated and rich tones that leave a feeling of being cocooned. As a juxtaposition to these, there are the very clear and bold primary and secondary colours that are dominating the fashion world. I’m particularly inspired by Tom Ford’s most recent collection on both counts.

Tim Christie

I’ve recently embarked on a new series of works that combine an elaborate spiral design with figurative forms. The images are revealed by dots of varying diameters and are formed by loading a small brush with paint and ‘blobbing’ the paint on with varying degrees of pressure. My first attempt, Golden Kereru, combines Resene Gold Dust metallic paint with Resene Adrenalin and was a massive success.

Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?

Whenever I can, I will DIY. One of my main passions outside of art is landscaping and gardening. Over the years, across different properties, I’ve built several retaining walls, fences and decks – one even in the shape of a Gordon Walter’s inspired Koru that took an entire year.

What’s your favourite place to find artistic inspiration?

From my experience, inspiration can come from literally anywhere, so I don’t specifically seek out places to find inspiration. Strong ideas usually emerge from a combination of influences that percolate in the subconscious and then find their way into the prefrontal cortex. Inspiration also comes from doing and iterating. Sometimes you need to work to think, rather than the other way around.

If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Life generally gets better the older you get – at least that’s been my experience – so, I would say to my younger self, “hey, Tim, you will have tough times. It’s part of life. It’s normal. Welcome them and embrace them as they are experiences that grow you and make you more resilient, empathetic and wise.”

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Funnily enough, we’re working with architects right now to extend our house and create a new master bedroom and ensuite, plus an art studio. It will open up some expansive views over Zealandia – Wellington’s bird sanctuary – so I am very excited.

If you could have dinner with any artist, designer or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

It’d be fascinating to meet with Damian Hirst and understand what it’s like to be so sought after that you could sell the snot from your nose. Aside from that, he seems like a deep thinking and interesting character who has navigated the art world extraordinarily well.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A giant, super-fast, multi-material 3D printer. You could open up your 3D architectural model, press print, pull out a deck chair and sit in the garden watching your vision come to life in took several days and created a very specific aesthetic akin to a rammed earth wall.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Aside from the obvious, which would be ‘Mr Cool’ where I can suck in copious amounts of CO2, burp it out to space and reduce the planet’s temperature to pre-industrial levels?

What colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?

I’m incorporating a lot of metallics at the moment, so perhaps they are something that might find their way into homes more – but probably as highlights and touches rather than big statements.