Artist re-invents her work

Some of Charlotte Giblin’s art pieces that will be at her art exhibition Retrospective. Photo: Supplied.

An artist's move to the Coromandel transformed her style in her latest exhibition Retrospective.

Charlotte Giblin's art exhibition, Retrospective is a snapshot in time of her journey of new beginnings in a new country, a new town (Whitianga) and a new way of seeing the world.

In the last five years Charlotte has learnt more than just painting, she has gained a deeper appreciation and connection with the light, beauty, colour and landscape that is the Coromandel.

'In the last five years my painting has transformed from an illustrative graphic style to bold abstract-realism, driving a whole new chapter of my development and growth as an artist,” says Charlotte.

'My background as a potter, painting animated characters on hand-thrown domestic ware, led perfectly to my earlier illustrative paintings, and this combination of creative disciplines has taught me to take off my blinkers and to see differently.”

She says her latest landscape paintings are a mixture of textural areas and smooth sections, allowing her to draw together her creative history.

These artworks, which verge on abstraction, are autobiographical, describing Charlotte's physical and spiritual journey.

'I feel like I am now looking at the world in a whole new way. My creative confidence has grown and so has that of my drawing and painting students, many of whom had never drawn before – and have subsequently discovered artistic skills that have helped them to blossom in ways they never imagined.”

Charlotte has always been involved with a broad range of creative and artistic disciplines, such as, art administration, curatorial work, retail and private tuition.

Charlotte's art education in the UK was grounded in drawing and painting, and during her intensive pre-University ‘Art Foundation Course' she discovered a new passion for sculpture and 3D forms.

From here Charlotte specialised in ceramics and completed a BA(Hons) Degree in Cardiff, Wales, before setting up and running her own handmade pottery business ('Bouncing Pig Pottery”) for 10 years.

In April 2014, Charlotte stepped aside from art administration to concentrate fully on her own creative projects.

Charlotte moved to New Zealand with her Kiwi partner at the end of 2009, and became the inaugural Director of the Wallace Gallery in Morrinsville, a position she held until May 2012, when she moved to Whitianga. Here Charlotte returned to her painting while working as Administrator for the Mercury Bay Art Escape Trust.

In the Coromandel, she is best known for her local landscape paintings, which illustrate her adventures around the Peninsula, many of which have been published as part of a continuing ‘Road Trip' series in Coromandel Life magazine, and feature in Charlotte's popular book ‘Wandering Under Big Skies.'

Charlotte's first painted self-portrait (done in 2015, after a gap of 20 years) was a Finalist in the Adam Portraiture Awards 2016, in Wellington, and toured New Zealand for 18 months.

'I'm hugely grateful for all the support I have had here in Whitianga and love the connection that I have with my audiences through the ‘Big Skies' illustrative paintings and ‘Wandering under Big Skies' book. It's always lovely to see locals and tourists gain so much pleasure from reading it.

The free exhibition will be held onSaturday, August 19 to Monday, August 21 at the Art Centre in Whitianga from 10am until 3pm each day.

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