Evan Woodruffe
Evan Woodruffe (born 1965) brings the extraordinary into the ordinary. Whether on a wall or a luxury car his paintings establish complex relationships between colour and pattern, creating what writer Lucinda Bennett referred to as "Wet Maps" - living, breathing ecosystems and visualizations of a new kind of urbanism, where the world itself is fluid and porous.
Evan has regularly exhibited in public institutions, including his significant contribution to New Zealand's special exhibition at the 8th Biennale in Beijing (2019).
Painting remains the core of Evan's practice, both as artwork and as an image reference for printing on fabrics, furniture, cars and architecture. Collaborating with designers and artists has expanded his painting beyond walls into our 3D world.
Since 2008, he runs the Akepiro Street Studios, where over a dozen artists work and he also regularly participates in community events like Artweek Auckland.
Your enthusiasm for Schmincke - 8 questions to Evan Woodruffe
In which techniques do you primarily work?
Before 2014, I worked in a representational style, mainly in oil paints. I wanted to expand my techniques and, during my art studies, developed my current abstract painting approach, mainly using acrylic paints.
Do you have favourite themes? And what inspires you?
Colour stimulates us directly and that is perhaps my greatest fascination. The way colours constantly shift, close or open space, move slowly or quickly, occupy shapes differently and touch us on a fundamental level.
Where do you prefer to paint?
I run the Akepiro Street Studios in Auckland's central suburb of Kingsland, where 14 artists work and it's only a 5-minute walk from my home. It's modest in size (my studio is 5 x 4.5 meters) as Auckland is quite expensive, but there's a vibrant, creative atmosphere.
Do you still remember your first Schmincke colour?
Before I truly started painting, I had a 12-colour HORADAM watercolour set that I took on holidays, but the first colour that really opened my eyes to the power of colours was a tube of MUSSINI Brilliant Scarlet. Life was never the same again!
Do you still remember your first Schmincke colour?
Before I truly started painting, I had a 12-colour HORADAM watercolour set that I took on holidays, but the first colour that really opened my eyes to the power of colours was a tube of MUSSINI Brilliant Scarlet. Life was never the same again!
What are your favorite colours?
I love playing with the liquid colour of AERO COLOR Professional and the buttery texture of PRIMAcryl, but like most artists, I am most excited about the latest colours. The Candy and Total Cover colours in AERO COLOR Professional, especially Poppy Red (28 030) and Phthalo Turquoise (28 847), have expanded my palette due to their unique properties.
And what makes them so special?
AERO COLOR Professional Candy colours are super saturated yet fully transparent, so Poppy Red creates fiery, modulated glazes over textured surfaces, deeper in the crevices and brighter on the peaks. It's beautiful for glazing light colours, especially on yellows. Phthalo Turquoise is usually transparent, but the Total Cover colour is opaque, delivering an exceptional velvety-matte, greenish-blue through my AERO COLOR Professional Liner. The colour glows even when used over dark colours!
Evan's art and his favorite paints PRIMAcryl and AERO COLOR Professional
11 July 2020, 160 cm x 130 cm, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.
Private collection.
25 April 2018, 200 cm x 200 cm, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.
Collection of the NZ Ministry Foreign Affairs & Trade.
How can we learn from you?
Come to New Zealand and join my summer course at Browne School of Art; or attend one of the workshops I conduct for Gordon Harris Art & Graphics Stores nationwide. I also write for their blog www.gordonharris.co.nz/blog/category/1-tipsinfo/page-1.
There are video links on my website providing insight into my practice, especially this short film by director Alex Plumb www.renews.co.nz/evan-woodruffe-artist-and-collector
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