Latest News
New Landscape Paintings
We have recently displayed a new body of works best described as '21st century landscapes'. The spectacular Oil titled “Granite and Ice” currently hanging in our gallery window along with the complimentary display of new works has been well received in Queenstown
Latest Release for 2009
Ivan has just completed some special new Lonely Dog works. In Ivan's words, “These new paintings have a special quality to them. Instead of just playing around on canvas, I’m now aware that there is a whole world and story behind what these paintings portray”. We’re pleased to bring to you
"Tippleton Brothers" |
"Alveridge 500" |
"The Woodshed" |
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Each painting of course comes richly embellished with the complete back-story. The originals are held in the artist’s family trust. Signed and numbered Limited Edition Giclees of each painting are now available for sale from our gallery.
These are now on display for the first time in our Queenstown Gallery.
Lonely Dog Sculptures
The SUNSHINE BOYS bronze sculpture (of the Lonely Dog Band) is a composition of three characters interacting and performing together. This stunning sculpture possesses both story and movement and is finished in intricate detail. The BARON BUST sculpture is 'His Houndliness Baron Rhondstadt of Beaconsfield' QOSM MAJ. GEN. (Retd) in all his glory!
Each character and instrument is individually sculpted then cast and are then composed and assembled together by braising, grinding, fettling and finally engraving any missing detail from over twenty cast bronze pieces. Cast in semi precious-metal, this is a world-class work of art that will surely be celebrated and appreciate in value over time.
It takes a spealized foundary to reproduce such complex works in bronze. These are cast by Fred Tangs foundry in China that has partnered with Richard Taylor (Weta Workshop) to create world-class bronze sculpture. Both myself and Richard have visited to be part of the creative process and are proud to be associated with these incredibly talented artisans. The Chinese were the first to master the art of lost-wax bronze casting millenniums ago.
Today there are many mediums that are easy to cast; resins, ceramics, polystones and even some metals can be “popped-out” of a silicon mould. The traditional art of casting bronze sculpture through the "Lost Wax" process is incredibly labour intensive and expensive. Each finished SUNSHINE BOYS sculpture weighs 61 kg, and comes mounted on a polished black granite base. The BARON BUST weighs 12 kg. The individual moulds for each casting are "smashed" away from the bronze unable to be used a second time around. The coloured A/P bronzes are hand-coloured by myself in Queenstown. There is more work in hand-colouring and finishing each of these sculptures than there is in doing an oil painting as I have discovered. My hand colouring process is unique, I'm unaware of anyone else rendering bronze sculptures in this way.
The famous artist and sculptor Remington was known to hand paint some of his bronzes in enamel; this gave a more "painted" look. I choose to use the bronze as a base, just like a blank canvas, with the fur particularly, I build up layer upon layer of different colour and tone, then polish the high spots back to bronze, this results in something similar to the process of painting a portrait on canvas - but instead I'm painting on a three dimensional bronze.
Each character is rendered with layers of coloured glaze that is then burnished all over leaving the subtle colours adhering to the pores of the metal resulting in a semi transparent antiqued luster. Ivan Clarke.
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