Teri Wilkinson is having her first solo exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery from March 14.
Teri Wilkinson is having her first solo exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery from March 14.
From bright and colourful flowers to fantasy compositions reminiscent of Dr Seuss or Alice in Wonderland, there is something whimsical and joyful in the work of Teri Wilkinson.
Her first solo exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery is a result of a couple of years of work.
The flower growerand floral artist, who owns the business Moose Cottage, has always loved expressing herself through art.
“From an early age, flowers and nature have been such a huge part of my life. It is my love and passion to be growing things, to have my hands in the dirt,” she said.
Wilkinson is in awe of nature and captures the beauty of plants, flowers and vases in her acrylic ink paintings.
“It’s such a privilege to be able to get pleasure from the simple things in life – to get up in the morning and walk amongst the flowers, to observe the insects, bees and birds.
“I am in awe of Mother Nature and the beauty it provides – perfect yet wild, untamed."
Wilkinson started sketching at a young age and later discovered lino printing, which became her obsession.
“I’ve been making lino prints for around 20 years – it was therapeutic.”
Unfortunately, a shoulder injury, exacerbated by constant gardening and the practice of carving into lino for her prints, meant she had to find a new way of expressing herself.
“I started experimenting with different mediums. I tried oil paints but fell in love with ink. I regained my mojo.”
Her favourite painting is one titled Groovy, which has a 60s feel, celebrating the retro era with its fantastic style and design.
Celebrating all things retro, this piece titled Groovy is part of Teri Wilkinson's exhibition at Matawhero Art Gallery.
Wilkinson keeps her paintings simple and loves the versatility of acrylic ink on Yupo paper.
Yupo paper is 100 % polypropylene, a tree-free and waterproof synthetic paper known for its ultra-smooth, non-porous surface.
She also uses watercolour paper for more detailed paintings.
Inspired by the flowers she grows, like echinacea, foxgloves and lilies, she is interested in shapes and composition.
For one painting, she used the native blue mushroom and humble primula to create a “total fantasy painting”.
