Beverly Claridge
Beverly Claridge has a distinctive narrative style in her oil on board paintings. Her specialty is creating figurative compositions with lots of colour.
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Painting: Oils Drawing: Coloured pencil, as well as graphite, charcoal, and pastels. Anatomical and Scientific knowledge: used extensively in preparation of figurative compositions. Leadership: past music director for Otatara Community Church. Small Group and leadership training. Practical leadership experience with small groups. Organisation: Essential time management, and logistical skills learned during 8 years as project manager in coordination with the president of a successful mechanical engineering company. Computer and Applications Skills
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Biology, Mid America Nazarene University, USA
2001 to Present: Full-time artist 1993-2001: Project Engineer for Mechanical Systems, Inc. Wichita, KS USA
Currently: Founder, leader of Great South Professional Artists, an initiative aiming to make the Great South the best place to create and experience visual arts in New Zealand.
2 April 2006 "Noble People, Treasured Land", by-invitation solo exhibition at the historic Anderson Park Art Gallery in Invercargill in celebration of the Southland Sesquicentennial.
2004 "Oil Change" Solo Exhibition, showcasing the artist's change of medium from coloured pencil to oil painting.
Since 2001, Claridge's artwork has been accepted into many exhibitions including Artworks at the Hilton in Auckland, the Cleveland Arts Exhibition, and the Spring Awards Exhibitions at Anderson Park Art Gallery. Prizes include: 2004 Merit Award for "Keeper of the Roses" (her very first oil painting) Invercargill Licensing Trust Awards Show 2003 Cityscape Award, "928" Coloured Pencil All About Southland, Southland Art Society Annual Awards Show 2002 Merit Award for "Viola Forte", coloured pencil Queenstown Spring Art Exhibition
Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2001, Claridge founded and directed the Fine Arts Ministry at Central Community Church in Wichita, KS, USA. During her tenure, the group hosted two very well received art exhibitions.
Phone: 3-217-0389 Fax: 3-217-4619 Mobile: 027-228-9699
Member Profile
Beverly Claridge Contemporary Arts StudioBeverly Claridge expresses a contemporary narrative surrealistic style which embraces both her love of art as story and her strengthening philosophical nature.
Her next series, Out of Hand, with Anna Claire Thompson debuts 3 March 2012 at Southland Museum and Art Gallery.
The 2010 exhibition, Ephemeral Perception, delved into considering human pursuit juxtaposed against the eternal, represented in her works by a dark, but dynamic depiction of the universe.
Earlier forays into narrative displayed a brighter, sunnier, and populist depiction of people, places, and still life as shown in solo exhibitions Oil Change in 2004 and the 2006 Noble People, Treasured Land at Anderson Park in Invercargill.She considers her main influences to be Salvador Dali, the Pre-Raphaelites, and more recently New Zealand artists Rita Angus, Edward Bullmore, Kees Bruin, a visionary hyperrealist, and mentor and friend, Allie Eagle.
Beverly has been creating art for over 20 years, becoming a full-time artist when she moved to New Zealand in 2001. In 2000, she founded and directed the Fine Arts Ministry at Central Community Church, a 3,000 member congregation in Wichita, Kansas. She curated two well-received exhibitions during her tenure. She holds a four-year Bachelors degree in Biology. Beverly has won awards for her coloured pencil and oil works.Beverly is now heading an artist's initiative in the Great South of New Zealand with the mission of helping make the Great South the best place to create and experience visual arts. To learn more, click on Great South Artists' Network website.
Beverly offers art classes and one-to-one tutoring, mentoring and consulation in her studio.
Contact Details for Beverly Claridge:
Phone: 64-3-217-0389
Mobile: 027-748-6014
Artist Statement
Creating art is what I love and what I must do. My purpose is to produce excellent artwork that is contemplative, provocative, and intelligent. I desire that my work exemplifies the amazement I feel about the ability to create.
My hope is to challenge, encourage, and help instil a sense of renewal in the viewer. The aim for excellence begins with careful planning of each of my narrative compositions. Contemplating the philosophy and feelings I want to evoke, I consider the questions that need to be asked. Which ones do I answer and which do I leave with the viewer to ponder?
Although tangents are intuitively explored along the way, the collection of written philosophy, plans, and preliminary drawings comprise a blueprint for each piece. Each day’s work is a journey of faith to the original concept because of the conscientious application of many layers of paint. I love experiencing the fascination of seeing all my ideas and their tangents become reality on canvas, fulfilling or even exceeding my primary vision.
The main theme informing my recent bodies of work is how humans spend their most precious asset, time.
