J. K. Phillips' Artist Statement

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My art has been labelled super-realistic, neo-realistic, metaphysical and surealistic.
I like showing unusual juxtapositioning of things that elaborate an idea or words.
I like creating visual parables, word and image puns.
Like M. C. Escher I see patterns of shapes and enjoy showing similarities in objects such as the way a hill and a curling ribbon are painted. I like the homophonic nature of some words such as currents/currants and the imagery they trigger. I like exploring the words that trigger shapes and shapes that trigger words, such as "a bold hold" and "word mould/mold" and how the roots of a tree are moulded by objects in the environment, which in turn are moulded by the roots.

I have been influenced to make art as a response to beautiful images: "If only I could hold that image in my mind."
I have been influenced to make art as a response to unusual images: "Who would believe this if they had not seen it".
I have been influenced to make art as a response to poetic words and truths.
I have been influenced to make art as a response to revelations and understandings of the Christian Scriptures.
I have been influenced to make art as a response to curiosity: "What would it look like if... What would it signify if...."
I have been influenced to make art from dreams and visions.
The Holy Spirit speaks to me about making art from time to time as well.

For me making an art work is a like a journey. Sometimes I begin with a completed image in my mind and have all the required skills to execute it. Sometimes I start with a small kernel of an idea or a desire to draw a particular object, which requires the gathering of information / research and the learning of new skills such as finding out how the light affects the color / shape of the object. Sometimes my art develops from doodling with the tools such as pencil or paint.

Digital Art: To begin with I took photos and manipulated them using the computer software tools and mouse like an artist's brush to add highlights, shadows, shapes, colour and distortions. Now I no longer need the photo but can use the mouse to draw the images.
Some of my digital art looks like a photo but I have created it using software that allows settings for shapes and colours to be manipulated and photos and images to be added as overlays to terrains that I create. I use Photoshop, 3ds Max, Terra Painter, and Terragen to create 2d and 3d environments.

As a child I loved making Art. My preschool teacher told me I had done a lot of painting and needed to do something else. I told her I hadn't! I loved the fesh clean colour in the paint pots and wanted to keep painting.
When I was 6 years old my teacher asked me to make a plasticine model, which she entered into the open section of the Hokitika District High School competition. I made a model of a man fishing and won second place in the girls open section.
When I was about 7 I asked my mother for an easel for Christmas. My mother bought me a blackborad easel and I was dissaponted as I had meant a painting easel!
I entered competitions and won prizes for my work and had some published in news papers. In 1969 I moved from New Zealand to Australia where the landscape made a deep impression on me. While in Australia I was recognized as a gifted artist, achieving the highest possible marks for the state Art exams and with the encouragement of my high school art teacher began a junior art group. Much of my spare time was spent in reading all the art books in the library and making art works. At the age of 17 I returned to New Zealand where I completed 3 years at Teachers College majoring in Art and eventually gained a degree in Education for which I was awarded the title of Massey Scholar for graduating in the top 5%.
In 2000 I emigrated to Australia. In 2004 I made my first piece of digital Art and have since received awards for some and exhibited and sold others.


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