From BlackWhite magazine - issue 07, colourful outlook
Seven mural artists share their favourite Resene colours, dream dinner dates and predictions for what colour trends lie ahead.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Dutch White really pops when used externally as I think its hint of yellow catches the light more effectively than a plain white. Resene Calypso is an interesting blue with a really nice tone to it. And Resene Windfall is a punchy teal-ish colour that gives off a tropical feel.
Melinda Butt
www.melindabutt.com
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
It’s tricky to pick one. I really like the mural I created in Whangārei on Bank Street. It plays nicely with the light and architecture and the shadows that fall throughout the day interact with the design in an interesting way. I always like to incorporate natural features like light and shadow into my work and this mural really succeeded in that area. I used a range of soft greens for the design to tie in colours from the surrounding environment.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I’m a bit of both, but it depends on the type of DIY. If it’s painting, I always do it. But if it was something like tiling, I would call in a professional.
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
I love different textiles (in particular, Indonesian or Mexican designs). Colours can really pop in tapestries and woven patterns and different cultures often use interesting colour combinations. Flowers offer a frequent source of inspiration, too.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take it easy on yourself and always listen to your gut.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
A large window in my kitchen area that opens. I would love to let in more light and look out at the garden.
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?
Salvador Dali. He was an incredible multi-faceted artist and a passionate visionary who was also very astute and a great writer. He always stood up for what he believed in. I would want his opinions about the art being created today.
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
Something that supports a healthy ocean and combats ocean acidification. I’m passionate about the environment and public spaces so I’m currently developing and creating a range of public furniture using hempcrete. Hempcrete is a healthy alternative to concrete that is a long-lasting carbon sequestering material. Hemp absorbs airborne carbon while it grows as a crop and continues to absorb greenhouse gases after it is harvested and transformed into a building material.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
To be able to turn invisible.
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your artwork?
Soft greens like Resene Ottoman, Resene Nourish and Resene Aura. I would love to create an interior artwork in this kind of palette.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Copper Rust is such a gorgeous, deep terracotta pink hue. I use Resene Glamour Puss every time I need a glamorous pink (it’s my go-to). Resene Havoc is so vibrant and such a great colour. I use it to make things ‘pop’ and it always complements my other tones so beautifully. I could dive straight into a tin of Resene Space Cadet. As an artist, the strength and potency of this blue is so appreciated. And Resene FX Metallic Gold is such a silky, light gold that always adds a touch of class and luxury to my walls.
Melanie Caple
www.artseleven.com.au
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
I was commissioned to create a mural for the Abbotsford Resene ColorShop in Melbourne and I loved having free rein over what colours I could use. It was a real challenge to paint as it scaled a stairwell and needed specific scaffolding, but I loved bringing together a magpie, a tūī, deep red gladioli stems and a lot of pink into the space.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
DIY perfectionist. I’ll try my hand at anything!
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
I draw a lot of inspiration from the environment around me, whether admiring different colour combinations found in natural areas or within urban settings and documenting different species of plant life. My murals are usually designed to feature bird and botanical species that are found in the area where I’m painting, so I do end up on a lot of online bird forums to learn about sightings in different areas. I also love using colour inspiration for the design elements in my work, so immersing myself in different landscapes is particularly inspiring.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t worry about things so much.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
We do need to embark on a kitchen renovation but splurging on a big Laura Jones painting or Troy Emery sculpture would be very nice too!
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’d choose Proust, Lucien Freud, Redcar from Christine and the Queens, the artist Nell and David Bowie. Can you imagine that combo? A great mix of minds musing about different creative mediums. It would be a dream.
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
A magic Resene paintbrush, where whatever colour you thought of would magically come out of the brush. If it could clean itself in between colours too, that’d be handy!
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
To bring back and protect all of the species that have been made extinct due to human impact. The thylacine and the big-eared hopping mouse would be great to paint as ‘local species’ in areas again!
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
I think that soft, dusky colours are really going to come into the fore as a response to the increasingly harsher environmental impacts outside the home, including colours like Resene Cannon Pink, Resene Foxtrot, Resene Crail, Resene Whiskey Sour, Resene Unite, Resene Wayfarer, Resene Rivergum and Resene Tussock. That’s already a dream combination to me. I’ll be using these to infuse my next mural with warmth and elegance when juxtaposed with my painterly elements for certain!
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Grenadier is one of my favourite colours. It’s a bold orange but dark and grounded with an earthy sensibility. Resene Half Resolution Blue is such an incredible hue and I love how electric it is. Resene Candy Floss is great for representing red but without too much intensity. It has a pink side that softens it.
Paul Darragh
www.bemodern.co.nz
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
My exhibition Shape Up or Ship Out at the Tauranga Art Gallery covered one of the gallery spaces with bold painted graphics inspired by maritime flags. I loved how transformative and electric the space became when surrounded by so much intense colour.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I’m a DIY perfectionist, for sure. There’s nothing more satisfying than peeling off masking tape to reveal a perfect line.
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
My murals are generally abstract and consist of various shapes in bold flat colours. For me, it’s about finding a flow or feeling with the way the shapes or colours interact and how they come together as a whole.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
To have an understanding that life is one long continuum and to think more about the future.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
A Tahiti Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. I’m a big fan of these pieces and they inspire my art.
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 have dinner with Keith Haring and talk about his New York experience in the early 80s.
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
Electric planes for greener travel around our planet.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Super speed! To have the ability to take on multiple projects at once!
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
I think analogous earthy tones like Resene Japonica, Resene Wax Flower and Resene Sebedee look great in interiors and provide such a warming palette. I’ve often used these colours to add an element of surrealism in my work.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Sante Fe for its terracotta perfection. Resene Soulful, which is the ideal blend of soft apricot with a smidge of pink. Resene Raptor, partly because of the name but also because it’s a stunning green. Resene Big Stone is my go-to dark blue. And Resene Regent Grey is my current flavour of the month.
Jasmine Kroeze
www.jasminekroeze.com
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
I’m not sure if I can choose just one! My favourite original painting to date is titled Along the Trail. I felt so much flow when I painted it and I was bursting with pride when I saw it hanging in the Tauranga Art Gallery! And one of my mural highlights would be the transformation of The Hub community space in Te Puke. What used to be a drab and slightly intimidating entrance is now fun, inviting and full of colour.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I love a good DIY and am quite partial to using the drop saw. My husband and I have equal custody over the power drill, but I wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist!
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
It often comes back to nature for me. Since moving to Pāpāmoa Beach, I value having a strong connection to the earth and sea. I often begin or end my studio days with a walk on the beach, which I’m grateful to have right on my doorstep.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Just ask. The people ahead of you or more established than you will never knock you for trying or for asking. People are often more than happy to offer perspective or advice. Some of my career highlights have come about because I had the guts to ask for the opportunity.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
A splurge for sure would be to renovate our kitchen. We have two young kids and my husband is a former chef, so it needs to be bulletproof! I have dreams of a fully stainless-steel kitchen paired with soft peach tones and delicate textures. I’d love to hand paint some tiles for it, too.
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 the late Vivienne Westwood. I’d love to hear about her life and her perspective on being the mother of punk and the new wave era and also her passion for activism. I don’t think dinner would be long enough!
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
Some kind of ocean cleaner that could devour all of the plastic and magically churn it into nutritional fish food with zero synthetics.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
To be able to get eight hours’ worth of sleep in eight minutes. Imagine all of the incredible things we could accomplish with a third more time on this planet.
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
I’m bringing more bold colour choices into my work. Artwork is such a fun and accessible way to bring colour into your home. I love an unapologetic orange such as Resene Ecstasy, which I would pare back by balancing it with a soft blue-grey like Resene Half Gull Grey, or a rich luxurious ochre like Resene Rusty Nail partnered with soft olive green such as Resene Bitter.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Goblin, Resene Butterfly Creek and Resene Koru are all getting lots of use as I am painting forest scenes into many of my murals. I like to mix them into my own colours as well so that I can create the subtle blends and textures you would see in the forest. Resene Half Resolution Blue is the base colour for the tūī feathers that I paint.
Joe McMenamin
www.joemcmenamin.com
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
I recently painted a mural for Poukawa School in Hawke’s Bay. I did a combo of plywood cut-out birds with the forest painted directly onto the wall. I love the contrast between the forest greens and the pops of colour in the birds. It was great to have the students helping paint the mural, too!
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I love a bit of DIY, especially painting, but I leave harder jobs like plastering to the pros.
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
I’m inspired by native birds and also our beautiful native forest. I love spending time in nature and walking in the bush and then bringing that inspiration to my art. I’m also inspired by the explosion of mural painting and street art around Aotearoa and the talented artists working in this space.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
I would tell myself to keep practicing and making art and that one day I will be a full-time artist. But in saying that, I wouldn’t change my journey of being a high school art teacher for 14 years as that foundation has been amazing for my art business. I’ve been a fulltime artist for seven years and it’s been awesome.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
I’ve just converted part of my lawn into a native garden with ferns, tussocks and a rock water feature. I would love to stain the fence behind it with a dark grey or black wood stain like Resene Crowshead or Resene Pitch Black to really set off the greens of the ferns.
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 to have dinner with American artist and activist Shepard Fairey. He paints huge murals and his art has been an inspiration to me for years. I would ask him how to take my art practice to the next level, and how he paints a 10-storey high mural?!
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
A hover skateboard straight out of Back to the Future. I mean, how cool would that be?!
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would want to fly or be invulnerable (so, basically, Superman).
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
As we come into summer, I can see some beautiful pinks, oranges and light blue colours coming in. Colours like Resene Sea Pink, Resene Melon Orange and Resene Sail. I am looking forward to using some fresh new colours in my murals as the seasons change.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Resene Fire is such a beautiful and rich autumnal colour that I’ve fallen in love with over the past year, and it feels very ‘Australian-red-earthy’ to me. Resene Allports, a rich and deep teal blue, is another favourite. I also keep coming back to Resene Adrenalin when I need a really spicy orange. I love its vibrancy and heat.
George Rose
www.georgerose.com.au
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
This is hard to answer as there are so many. I was particularly proud of the installation I did at Revesby Workers’ Club. The space was a fit-out for a bar/club/restaurant adapted from an existing club, and the idea was to create a series of patterns which could be stretched out and repeated in various colour combinations within a set palette along the boundary walls of the room. It felt like the work kept getting extended and extended and there were more walls to fill, but because of the way I had designed the artwork, it was a lot of fun to recreate all the pattern work with different and unique colour combinations.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I am definitely a perfectionist when it comes to my murals and what I produce, but if it is something outside my skillset, I am more than happy to bring in a professional who is also a perfectionist about what they do best!
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
To be honest, my everyday life is the best place I find inspiration. In saying that, I do thrive on travel and seeing new places. It’s really in these experiences that I find inspiration. It might be through learning about a new location, culture or food, or just walking around on the streets of a place I’ve never been before. I photograph a lot of the plants I see as well as neighbourhood gardens and I store these as potential references to use on future projects. I also find having conversations with fellow artists to be immensely inspiring. I meet the most diverse creatives when I am on the road that make me feel energetic and inspired.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be less scared.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be?
Probably an overhaul of the lighting in my house.
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 think at the moment my answer would be Matisse, and I think I would just want him to talk about his life, his thoughts on life and his experiences.
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
This question has really thrown me into an existential crisis. There are too many options! How do I answer? I think my answer right now would have to be a mini teleportation device, because jet lag is not fun.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I’ve always thought I would love flying! It’s the most vanilla of all the superpowers, but I love being up high and I think flying represents freedom. To be frank, it would also greatly assist with access when painting larger walls.
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic crystal ball, so any trend predictions I make will be a stab in the dark – and they seem to move so fast! However, I can say that I am presently drawn to pastel palettes and deep, rich colours. I do like to try and use unexpected colours at times, which aligns with the late 90s and early 00s colours that are currently on trend.
Which are your current favourite Resene colours and what do you like about them?
Oh, they change so often! If I had to pick three right now, they would be Resene Freefall, Resene Dali and Resene Adrenalin. I love using these to create rustic, aged-looking paint and metal effects. I have a thing for old, abandoned buildings!
Wicksey
www.instagram.com/wickseydesign
What’s been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have completed to date and what did you like about it?
My house! Not an artistic piece at all, but it was quite relaxing painting something all the same colour for once and taking my time, cutting in and working on my brush and roller skills!
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I think artists can be slaves to perfectionism and we’re never truly happy with our finished work. I’m guilty of finding things to poke holes in, but I think that’s important as it helps you grow and develop your skills – without being too hard on yourself at the same time. There are things I will leave to the professionals though. They make it look easy, but it rarely is!
What’s your favourite place to find inspiration for your murals?
There is so much public art everywhere now, which is fantastic. I love walking around places I’ve never been and finding art down alleys or high up on walls. You no longer have to quietly creep around an art gallery anymore in fear of being shushed! Galleries have definitely changed in recent years, and it’s great to hear voices and chatter around the place as people voice their opinions and share ideas. That’s what galleries should be – a place to share, learn and be inspired!
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Life’s too short to go with the crowd. Anyone who does anything great with their life doesn’t stay in one lane. You’ve got to break the mould and a few rules and carve out your own path. Take more risks, make mistakes and grow.
If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
It would be a home cinema built from scratch. Completely impractical but absolutely awesome. Line the walls with cinema posters from the 80s and 90s. Big old comfy couches and a fibre optic starry sky ceiling!
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?
Da Vinci. The man was a genius and completely ahead of his time. His insights on art, technology and life in general would be incredible. I would like to meet with him here in our present time and get his take on the world.
If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?
A time machine. I mean, come on, how amazing would that be?
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
The power to read a client’s mind and know exactly what they want! Or a Green Lantern ring. I’m a comic book nerd.
Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and will they affect the colours you use in your work?
Let me consult my crystal ball. Hmm, it’s very foggy. Perhaps more neutral tones? I think these have been popular for so long as people like to create calm neutral spaces and then fill them with colours from their art and belongings to make the space their own. I don’t think new trends will affect my work as I am always using different colours and finishes depending on what I am creating at the time!
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