For the month of August, David Stone will be in the hot seat as the Thames Art Gallery’s featured artist, where his paintings will be exhibited for the community to see.
The painter’s art passion came to him when he was visiting the South Island many years ago.
“I was probably in my early 30s, and I was taken by the artists down in the South Island, because a lot of them painted landscape there and I actually took an interest,” he told The Profile.
“When I came back, I said, ‘I’m going to paint’.”
That’s what set him on his path to the art world, and after around two or three years of learning from different artists, the odd art school and night classes – he was away.
After that, the artist started to sell his paintings.
He said he mainly concentrated on painting landscapes and seascapes.
One thing people will be able to see at the exhibition is the painter’s interest in the Coromandel, particularly the Thames Coast.
There was also something “deliberate” he did in the majority of his works.
“I do a lot of light in my pictures. I don’t do many grey pictures now. I used to do quite a bit.”
“I hear people tell me, ‘oh, that’s got lots of light, I like the light that comes through on to your picture.’ So I hear that, and of course now I’m doing more of it,” he said.
Painting taught David many things.
“It makes me think, makes me work, makes me perceive colour. I’m doing it automatically now without thinking really,” he said.
“When I first went out to look for landscape scenes, I found it very hard to find a scene. Now when I go to a beach like Thornton Bay and I look around, I can see one, two, three, four, maybe seven or eight different ideas I can see as a painting.”
DETAILS: David Stone’s art will be on display at Thames Art Gallery, 604 Tararu Rd, Thames, from August 1, 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on weekends.
By DAVIDDA HIKATANGATA
