Creative Connections with Mandy Jakich

Mandy Jakich
  • 0.0 (0)
  • VISUAL ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Conversations with visual artists and arts practitioners from Aotearoa New Zealand

  1. 4D AGO

    Helen Kerridge - Contemporary Painter

    Helen Kerridge is a contemporary painter from the Hawkes Bay.  Many of Helen’s paintings are set in sparse environments, with a minimal grouping of subjects exude a sense of stillness, contemplation, and a celebration of the beauty to be found in objects and the stories to be told. Helen has been painting all her life, from as far back as she can remember. She started her photo realistic painting career in New Zealand and the US, touching up professional photographs before the days of Photoshop. In this lovely episode which I know you'll love, we talk about how her 18 year teaching career in painting started, from community classes to her private painting classes which became hugely popular in the Hawkes Bay area, and how and why she came to full time painting only 3 years ago. She shares how teaching influenced her own painting practice, pushed her out of her comfort zone and kept her learning across genres.  Helen shares her love of and connection with objects she includes in her paintings like the Crown Lynn Swan and how she likes to learn about the background and stories of these objects. She shares her love of the Old Masters of the 17th century and how they have influenced her work, and how she has created a 'point of difference' in her work with her use of simple compositions and mostly subdued tones, with the occasional addition of pattern.  I just love the little anecdotal stories Helen tells in this episode.  Helen talks us through her painting process, how she paints glass and the paints she uses, her colour and paint management, the thin layers of paint she applies, how she decides what to paint, her studio set up (which is not as organised as you'd imagine!), her poratit training she experienced in 2019 and why she prefers to use acrylic paint. Helen talks enthusiastically about the loaded symbolism in her "The Devil Is In the Details" painting, which was made for a Hospice fundraiser and sold for $40,000, as well as the symbols and narratives in other works. Nga mihi thank you to Helen Kerridge for sharing your incredible practice and career on Creative Connections. Your work is such a joy to view and it's been wonderful to learn more about your ideas, process and the connections you make. And a big thank you to you for tuning in.  Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 22m

  2. JAN 23

    Quirky Fox Art Gallery - with Vicki Fox

    Vicki Fox founded Quirky Fox art gallery in 2012. It is located in Hawera, a small town of 10,000 people south of New Plymouth. Showcasing both established and emerging talents, Quirky Fox invites both New Zealand and international artists to be part of its carefully curated range; all international artists are exclusive to the gallery within New Zealand, while New Zealand artists are exclusive to the gallery within Taranaki.  Quirky Fox aims to provide a home for artists working in new contemporary and representational styles and introduce their works to both a New Zealand and international audience.  This episode is a great insight into how a person can get over challenges and use their strengths to create and work on something they are passionate about. Vicki Fox has lived her whole life with a speech impediment. As a child and young person she was teased and never felt she fitted in, even feeling like a "misfit" at times throughout her life. As she has got older she has come to the realisation that the things she was teased about are actually the really interesting, fun parts of her personality.   In this chat Vicki shares how she finds her artists and builds her network, what she looks for in an artist and her expectations and management of artists both in New Zealand and internationally.  We discuss her advice to artists approaching her gallery, how she feels about artists experimenting and changing their style, why she is against AI, pricing work (her least favourite part of the business), the development of her newly renovated gallery space and her exhibition schedule.  Thank you to Vicki for agreeing to have this chat with me, something I know she had reservations about. I think her story will inspire you. At the moment Creative Connections does not receive formal funding. Some generous listeners have chosen to support us with a monthly donation of $3, $5, $8 or $10. If you would like to contribute in this way you can click this link to set up your donation. Easy as and you can cancel any time! Thank you so much, every cent is truly appreciated and ensures the continuation and development of the podcast. Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 11m

  3. JAN 7

    Scott Lawrie - Gallerist, Writer

    Scott Lawrie is a well known, much loved gallerist and writer who was based in NZ and is now living in Scotland.  I absolutely loved catching up with Scott again a few months ago while I was living in Turkey. I last spoke to Scott on the podcast more than 3 years ago in episode 62. Scott Lawrie Gallery began life in 2017 in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland and continues to thrive now in Edinburgh Scotland. As the gallery’s reputation grew the focus pivoted away from art as a business ontology, towards a more authentic, occasionally experimental, vessel for interesting ideas.  The gallery has hosted over 200 exhibitions, showcasing work by over 140 artists from around the world. Scott moved from Aotearoa NZ back to his home town of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2022. In this episode we discuss everything from: giving up alcohol 4 years ago, taking a weight loss drug and how that has affected him, his view of the art world in Aotearoa and in Scotland; to capitalism and how it flattens culture, art for the working class, cultural vandalism, theories of collapse, the purpose of art fairs, funding in the arts and his love of critique. If you haven't listened already to our first chat on the podcast, I recommend you listen to episode 62 before you settle in to this one.  Nga mihi nui, thank you very much to the lovely Scott Lawrie for his encouragement and support of this podcast and for joining me again to update us on his life and views.  And thank you for tuning in again in our first episode of 2026. I look forward to sharing more inspiring stories this year and connecting with my listeners and artists. Thanks so much for your support as well.  I'm currently in the process of locking in artists for 2026 so please do get in touch if you know of an artist living in NZ who would make a great guest or if you are interested yourself. One of my goals for the podcast this year is to grow my audience and the variety of visual artists I speak to, so I'd be very grateful if you could share the podcast or episodes you've enjoyed with your friends or on your socials.  Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 21m

  4. 12/16/2025

    ART BY THE SEA art gallery - with Linda and Mike Geers

    In this episode I speak with Mike and Linda Geers, the owners of Art By The Sea, an art gallery in Hurstmere Road Takapuna, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This is a fabulous chat with 2 people who are very passionate about the visual arts in Aotearoa. Linda and Mike see themselves as conduits between artist and audience, as kaitiaki guardians of artists' work, making connections through art. We talk about how they came to purchase Art By The Sea in 2001 when it was in Devonport, the early challenges they experienced and their move to new premises in Takapuna in 2021. Mike and Linda share how they choose an artist to represent, what they recommend to artists, how they like artists to approach them, what they look for in an artist's work, how and why they turn down some artists, what they expect from their artists and how they respond to their artists experimenting with new ideas.  We discuss their yearly exhibition programme, supporting charities through group shows and the challenges of owning and running an art gallery,  Linda and Mike generously share the rewards, honours and life changing moments they have experienced as gallerists who are deeply connected to their stable of artists, their collectors and their audience. There is so much great advice for artists in this chat which I'm sure you'll find valuable. Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 26m

  5. 12/02/2025

    Katie Leigh Stewart - Multi media artist

    Katie Leigh Stewart is a mixed media artist living in Wellington, Aotearoa NZ.  Katie's paintings explore floral landscapes, portraiture, everyday life and nature. Her bright and bold palette as well as signature brush strokes gives viewers a moment to pause and find joy.  In this episode Katie talks about her early nursing career and how she finally came to focus on her artist career as a new Mum. We explore her paintings which are mostly inspired by her life, everyday experiences and her love of gardening and nature. Katie talks us through the ways she captures the feeling of the moment she is responding to and the essence of her subject, her painting process and the ways she manages the different media she uses in her work including combining acrylic and oil paints. We talk about why she often likes to underpaint using a fluoro paint and her use of colour, her layering technique, the ways she introduces details, how she paints flesh, light and shadow and the tools and mediums she uses. Katie shares her approach to sharing her work on social media, diversifying within her practice, experimentation, mark making, commissions and how she manages her days as a homeschooling mumma of 3 young girls. Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 40m

  6. 11/23/2025

    Natalie Gelder - Multi disciplinary artist

    Natalie is an emerging multi-disciplinary artist born in Yorkshire, England, with a current focus on figurative oil paintings. Nat moved to New Zealand in 2016 in her early twenties.and is currently based in Auckland. In this episode Natalie shares how creating likeness in a portrait has become a challenge too tempting not to take on as she's got older, becoming thirsty for something that felt more difficult and less forgiving. As a Mum of 2 boys, her sons have become treasured subjects that she never feels bored of capturing in her work. Natalie explains what she gains from entering her paintings into NZ art awards and the success she has had, becoming a finalist and runner up in a number of awards such as the Parkin and Adam Portraiture prizes.  We talk all about synesthesia (a word I stumbled on every time I said it in our chat!), what it is, how it presents for Natalie and the ways it influences her painting approach. Nat shares her techniques for capturing likeness in a face, painting flesh, the paints she likes to use and how she likes to apply them. And so much more. You're going to love this chat. Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 32m

  7. 11/13/2025

    Andrew Barns-Graham - Contemporary artist

    Andrew Barns-Graham is an established Auckland-based artist known for his hard-edged contemporary portraits with a pop realist style.  He renders smooth, gradient-infused figures set against minimal, atmospheric landscapes. In this episode we talk about the pivotal moment that led to Andrew devoting himself to his art practice after a career in advertising. Andrew tells us about a traumatic near death experience and how that has influenced his art practice, his outlook and the way he lives his life. We discuss the different phases of portraiture Andrew has explored throughout his practice, and the ideas behind these series of works - from themes communicating nostalgia, identity, social issues, scientific ideas and the past/present/future to climate change and outer space. He talks about the women in his paintings, his titles, the symbols in his work, the eyes and gazes of his subjects and the significance of his landscapes. Andrew explains how Arthaus Contemporary, a community based contemporary artist run space, came about and how it works, which BTW is a wonderful space for artists to rent for their own exhibitions and a very good rate.  Andrew's solo exhibition at Arthaus Contemporary opens on November 19th and closes Nov 30th 2025, with an opening event on Thursday 20th Nov. I'll to see you there! This is a gorgeous chat - thank you to Andrew for letting me take up his precious time while he was preparing for his show and thank you lovely listener for joining us. See Andrew's work on our blog Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 41m

  8. 11/03/2025

    Kyra Alkamil - Emerging young artist

    Kyra Alkamil is a 19 year old emerging artist from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, in her first year studying fine art at Elam School of Fine Art in Auckland. Kyra paints in oils and is interested in storytelling, the human figure, nostalgia, domestic scenes and surrealism. In this episode we talk about the ways Kyra discovered and developed her love of art and her skills in visual art as a homeschooled teenager, how life drawing has contributed to her figurative practice, her shift from acrylics to oils and the development of her painting practice over the last few years. Kyra gives us an insightful look into why she decided to study fine art, her first day at Elam School of Fine Art in Auckland, handling feedback and the connections she has with her lecturers and peers at Uni. We explore the challenges, frustrations and highlights of studying fine art as a 18/19 year old, the courses she has done so far and what she has loved or not loved about them and how her study has affected and influenced her art practice. See images of Kyra's work on our blog Support the show Creative Connections Website See our website for more about us and artist blogposts with images + links of the things we talk about in each episode. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS Instagram Creative Connections Facebook

    1h 18m
See All (192)

About

Conversations with visual artists and arts practitioners from Aotearoa New Zealand

Information

You Might Also Like