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Solo Artist Recognition at Eade Gallery

Clyde’s Eade Gallery is championing three local artists this summer with the return of its popular monthly solo exhibitions which feature Megan Huffadine, Nigel Wilson and Peter Walker.

 Peter Walker – January 2021

 A recent move from Invercargill to Clyde has been an exciting step for artist Peter Walker.

“I have been based in Invercargill for 30 plus years as a builder and part-time artist so this transition to Central Otago has offered a more relaxed lifestyle with the opportunity to focus on my painting,” says Peter.

“During Covid-19 lockdown I enjoyed the rare opportunity to paint uninterrupted and continuously for weeks at an end which was a luxury I had never experienced before.  The works I painted during this time now complete the majority of my solo exhibition at Eade Gallery.”

Peter has been painting for 20 years and has won several awards, including Macalister’s Award for Best Exhibit. He says local artists have been a huge influence but he has worked to develop a style that reflects his own personality with a fresh approach.

“My work is consciously unpremeditated and relies on spontaneity.  Each painting is a journey in discovery with unintended results and surprises.  This approach ensures that my paintings are kept fresh and are sometimes puzzling – I love to experiment.”

“I have an expressionist style that is enhanced by the mixing of different mediums, for example acrylic and enamels, hopefully in a controlled manner,” he says. “The intention with each painting is to challenge and question the viewer to discover their own meanings and interpretations hidden within the canvas.”

Megan Huffadine – February 2021

The Covid-19 lockdown was an opportune time for Bannockburn artist Megan Huffadine.

“It was a mixed emotional bag for many people but a gift to able to focus solely on my painting and I made a series of experimental works that started an exciting new series.”

Megan’s background in anthropology, archaeology and museum practice informs her artistic ideas around collecting and displaying objects. Her sought after works include artefacts, ceramics, textiles, plant materials and paintings.

“I initially made around 20 to 30 new pieces and have continued to develop them. The results are focused towards still life however they contain the sculptural objects and constructions that I have previously done. Put simply, I am now painting complex sculptures that have a sense of cabinet or installation that would be too difficult to physically make.”

She says engaging with a supportive dealer is an important part of her art journey.

“I’ve been involved in the arts for 40 years, both as a teacher and a practitioner and representation is key. There are a wide range of influences on my art from museum displays to botanical drawing, cabinets of curiosity or Wunderkammer and the use of plants in surface design.”

“Part of my work has always had an environmental focus and currently I am exploring images that are metaphors for environmental health and also looking at insects and seeds – the small things that are often overlooked.”

Nigel Wilson – March 2021

Make it vital, challenging and popular. That is the motivation behind artist Nigel Wilson’s latest series of works that are part of his solo exhibition at Eade Gallery over summer.

His works are highly sought after nationally and internationally for their distinctive Central Otago landscapes depicting the seasons.

“My art evolves over time taking on different concerns about artistic processes and themes. I interchange between oil and acrylic suitably and will be exhibiting work in different styles. Recently I have been working on invented abstract landscapes which will form part of the exhibition along with my expressionist landscapes.”

Nigel started his art career as a teacher at Cargill High School in Invercargill before completing a fine arts degree at Ilam in 1982. He has been a full-time professional artist since 1996 and is well represented in public and private collections around the world. He references celebrated New Zealand artist Toss Wollaston as a major influence.

“Presently I’m concerned more with invention in an abstract format that links to landscape, however  I will always paint and exhibit my expressionist landscapes that refer to Central Otago locations,” he says. “My new abstract work has been achieved through working with varied surface treatments and varied painterly procedures. It is experimental in essence and visually poetic.”