Congratulations to artist Michael Freeman for earning a place as a finalist in the 5th Edition!

Who are you?

I am a hyperrealist pastel artist living downunder in Auckland, New Zealand, where I finally settled after a 15 year adventure living in the United States and England with my wife Julie, and where we added our daughter Lauren (born in US) and son David (born in UK).

Art has always been a part of my life, and I knew from a very young age that I wanted a career in Art. When I got accepted into the Elam – School of Fine Arts University of Auckland I wanted to be a painter. However, after the first year (where I experienced and explored – painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and design), I decided to pursue Product Design as there was a clear career pathway for me and an opportunity to study in the United States. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois I started my career as a Product Designer in the United States, then England and eventually ended back in New Zealand where I successfully ran my own Product and Graphic Design consultancy. My design career spanned more than 40 years, but the dream of being a painter never went away. Toward the end of my career, my wife bought me an easel and set of acrylics and I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to pursue in the next stage of my life and so I decided to actively pursue my dream again.

As I approached retirement, I wound up my design consultancy and in recent years I have also slowly reduced my Art & Design lecturing workload. I am now looking forward to the next chapter in my life where I can indulge my dream of becoming a full-time artist in the years ahead.

My wife (also an artist) and I are looking forward to immersing ourselves in our artistic endeavours, doing pastel workshops, travelling and experiencing more of our beautiful country here in New Zealand and also spreading our wings internationally, as soon as Covid establishes a new normal and we are able to travel overseas.

What inspired you to begin utilizing pastel as a medium?

My wife was my inspiration. I had started to get back into painting with acrylics but was taking almost a year to complete a single painting. The style that I developed was to apply acrylic like watercolour, slowly building up the layers and the detail. However, this was a slow undertaking even before taking into account the fact that I only got a little time on weekends in my studio and insisted on using a 000 brush. At the same time, my wife had discovered pastel and was creating amazing photorealistic paintings in a fraction of the time. So one day, I decided to give pastel a try and the rest is history – I haven’t done an acrylic painting since.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work "Granny's Box"?

Granny's Box is one of a series of Still Life paintings that I have produced featuring iconic toys and objects that are strongly associated with New Zealand.

The wooden 'Sport' drink box, the Buzzy Bees, Mary Lou Dolls, and Granny Smith apples are all familiar objects to all New Zealanders. New Zealand is often referred to as being 'clean and green' hence the choice of the bright green Granny Smith apples and old iconic wooden toys (not plastic). I was also playing with the fact that bees are essential to our food production and our planet’s survival - hence the use of New Zealand’s most recognised toy the Buzzy Bee and a blue (boy) and the red (girl) Mary Lou Dolls. The title 'Granny's Box' sets the scene of simpler times, how toys are often passed from one generation to the other, and also the double meaning of the word 'Granny'.

What drew you to explore still life, specifically whimsical still life as a subject matter?

Before I started my Buzzy Bee still life series, I had the goal of creating a series of paintings that people immediately recognise as being mine. It was also important to me that the things that I paint are things I love and am passionate about. From a young age I have always loved and enjoyed collecting old things: stamps, coins, postcards, bottles, toys, cameras, and much more – so utilising these items in my still life paintings was a natural progression for me. Every object that I incorporate into my paintings of course has its own unique stories which I feel adds additional layers of interest and depth to the stories I create in my paintings.

I guess the whimsical, playful aspect comes mainly from the old toys and especially the Buzzy Bee. I love that some people viewing my paintings simply find them joyful and nostalgic and that others choose to engage with them more deeply.

Ultimately I feel that my still life paintings will become more surreal with greater symbolism and meaning incorporated over time. I love creating paintings that constantly challenge the viewer visually as well as mentally.

What do you hope to communicate with your work?

My hope is that people viewing my paintings will discover more the closer they look. It always gives me great satisfaction to see someone looking at my work with their nose almost touching the surface – I want to draw the viewer into my work both with the execution (level of technique/technical skill and detail - and that they are unable to tell what medium I have used) but also in the level and depth of storytelling. I see my paintings as a means of communicating my thoughts, feelings, ideas, concepts to others. An opportunity to have my say!

Do you have a particular piece that you view as your most accomplished? Why? 

My next one!

For me, painting is a journey of constant improvement and striving to be better. So each painting I complete always contains areas that I feel that I could have done better. However, rather than reworking the painting, I prefer to move on to the next challenge with the knowledge that I know my skills and techniques are improving.

Interestingly my painting ‘Granny’s Box’ selected as a Finalist for the Boynes Emerging Artist Award would have to be my most successful painting so far based on the awards that it has received through 2020 - 2021. It is always interesting and helpful to see how others respond to my work. I recently discovered that I experience ‘Imposter Syndrome’ (which is: is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud") and therefore having successes does help somewhat. I made the discovery when I read an article written by an artist whom I respect very much, that it is in fact an actual ‘thing’. In her article, she revealed that this was something that she had experienced after winning a big international competition.

Another relatively recent understanding about myself (and something probably every Hyperrealist discovers about themselves) is that I am continuously striving for perfection in my work – but have realised more and more that for me perfection is very much a moving target. There is always room to improve and there isn’t actually an achievable end point.

Can you discuss why you chose painting as a medium for your work and voice as opposed to others?

My genre - Hyperrealism allows me the luxury of combining two mediums that I love (painting and photography)

For me, photography is fundamental to my practice and is the foundation that underpins my painting. Originally my photography was in itself the end product. However over time, as I started to get back into fine art as opposed to design, I started to use my photography as the departure point for my paintings. Now photography has become very much a tool, from which my paintings evolve. Where previously I worked hard at capturing the final image in my photography, now I am more focused on ensuring that I have all of the information required to create my final painting.

As to why I choose painting as my primary medium for my work/voice, it is simply who I am. Hyperrealism suits my personality and feeds my inner artistic spirit – my love of detail and striving for perfection. Making the 2D world three dimensional is what excites me and what gives me the most personal satisfaction.

Interestingly as a professional product designer, my love was conceptualizing new products through drawings. I loved visualising three-dimensional objects initially in my concept drawings. A lot of my understanding of form and light comes from the knowledge, skills and experience that I gained as a product designer. I did enjoy subsequently developing the three-dimensional finished product (the sculptural component) however for me the conceptual/drawing stage was always where I was the happiest. So for me, I guess painting is my happy place.

Have you experimented with other mediums? If so, which ones and how?

The short answer is yes – growing up and through university and my professional design career, I have experimented and experienced lots of other mediums including acrylic, oil, watercolour, graphite, printmaking, photography, pen and ink, marker rendering, sculpture, model making, and 2D/3D design, etc.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your works?

Creating my pastel paintings is a learning experience in itself. Every time that I sit down at my easel I am learning. My learning is continuous and ongoing.

Each new painting always poses unexpected questions and challenges. I feel that I am still relatively new to pastel, especially when compared to my experience as a product designer. One of my big learning experiences would have to be when I changed the support that I was working on from the traditional sanded papers (textured surface) to Pastelmat (smooth surface).

Prior to changing supports, I was starting to understand how to achieve the results I wanted to achieve on the traditional sanded surfaces and felt as though I was beginning to be in control. I was establishing a wonderful array of blending tools (mainly rubber clay shapers). Like paintbrushes, as you worked with them (the blending tools) they would wear and establish new tips/ends that also became useful in their own right. However I subsequently became aware of Pastelmat (totally new support) which other hyperrealistic pastel artists were using and getting great results, so decided to give it a try.

Initially, it was terrible because a lot of the techniques and skills that I had been successful in developing, simply didn’t work. However, I did love the smooth surface and once I stopped trying to use what I already knew and started to accept that the Pastelmat surface was something completely different. I then began to recognise that the qualities of Pastelmat that I was struggling with at the start, were in fact strengths. Once I understood them and was able to control the outcomes, it quickly became my favourite support.

For me, learning is constant. As an artist, I am always exploring cause and effect with the materials, tools and techniques that I am using. Painting is a voyage of discovery.

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

I think it is important to establish goals. My philosophy/approach is very much – first I dream it! and then I do it! This served me well throughout my design career so naturally, I have continued with the same approach/philosophy with respect to my current journey of establishing myself as an internationally recognised pastel artist.

Since beginning my current art journey as a pastel artist I knew it was important for me to initially set achievable goals. So early on I had what I call my ‘bucket list’ which started initially with basic things like making connections with respected artists on social media, being accepted into New Zealand competitions/exhibitions; achieving recognition with pastel societies, etc. Which then slowly progressed to: being accepted into International Competitions, subsequently winning awards and gaining international recognition. Since starting out in 2015 I have been very fortunate to tick lots of the things off, that I had initially put on my ‘bucket list’. As things are ticked off, I make sure new things are added.

2021 was my most successful year to date, and ‘Granny’s Box ticked a lot of boxes for me (no pun intended). My success as a Finalist in The Boynes Emerging Artist Award (2021) and a Finalist in the 15th ARC Salon (2020) would have to rate as major accomplishments for me, as both competitions included artists from all mediums. However these accomplishments are closely followed by my attaining Master Pastelist with the Pastel Artists of New Zealand (2021), gaining Master Circle status with IAPS (2019) and being awarded  The Pastellist of the Year by The Pastel Society of Australia (2021), and gaining Signature membership in the Pastel Society of America.

It has been an amazing ride to this point, and I am definitely looking forward to 2022 and the years ahead.

What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?

The most recent painting I have just completed follows on from my painting ‘Sleight of Hand’. The painting I have titled ‘Sticks and Stones’ is a homage to two artist favourites of mine – Escher and his ‘Drawing Hands’ and Michelangelo and his fresco painting ‘The Creation of Adam’.

In both ‘Sleight of Hand’ and ‘Sticks and Stones’ I am playing with ‘trompe l'oeil’ in that I am wanting to convince the viewer that they are actually looking at real three dimensional objects which include the hands. My goal is for the viewer to question whether what they are looking at is: a photograph of me working on a painting; or the actual painting itself! 

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists/photographers, what is your advice?

Artistically create what you love, what brings you joy and satisfies and feeds your inner artistic soul. Everything else will flow from that!

To view more of Michael Freeman’s work

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