Barry Driver Art
I am an emotionally-inspired abstract artist based in Nelson, New Zealand
See below for details on all aspects of my art practice and history
For the latest news on all my art happenings, please follow me on Facebook
Ph: +64 (0)21 022 42429
baz.driver@yahoo.co.nz
I consider myself a hobby artist because I'm certainly not in it for profit. I paint simply because I love to paint and I offer my work for sale simply to help cover the costs of painting more - plus I love it when other people love my work too.
For me, art has no meaning without an observer. The art in a painting is not, therefore, in the skills or techniques employed, but in what they capture and how it affects people. For a person to love a painting, I believe it needs to offer a spark to their imagination and be open to their own interpretation, thereby allowing it to become part of them.
2007 - Joined Art Group Nelson
2010 - Gained membership Nelson Suter Art Society
2011 - First accepted Auckland's Original Art Sale
2011 - Joined Art@203 Collective Gallery
2013 - First accepted New Zealand Art Show
2013 - First accepted at Art Expo Nelson
2014 - Gained representation ICON Gallery (closed)
2017 - First accepted Christchurch Art Show
2017 - Gained representation Tait Gallery
2018 - Rebranded Collective to Wall To Wall Art
2012 - ART@203 - "Boys Don't Cry"
2013 - ART@203 - "That's Me In The Corner"
2014 - ART@203 - "Jump Into The Sun"
2015 - ART@203 - "A Drop In The Ocean"
2016 - ART@203 - "Where Trees Play"
2017 - ART@203 - "Open Heart"
2018 - ART@203 - "Hot Cakes"
2019 - Wall To Wall - "Alien Artworks
From A Distant Galaxy"
2020 - Wall To Wall - "Resin8"
2021 - Wall To Wall - "The Ones That Got Away"
2022 - Wall To Wall - "In Your Face!"
My current favoured technique is to apply acrylic paint to glossy photo paper with an old credit card or similar. I choose such tools over brushes because I find they allow greater freedom of expression. I work quickly in order to achieve a variety of mixing, scraping and layering effects while the paint is still partially wet. These days, I typically start at around A1 size, but will often crop to a smaller size to achieve a result I'm happy with - sometimes right down to A6 size, which I make into original artwork cards. To finish, I either frame work behind glass with an off white mat and slim black or white frame, or mount it on board and coat it with resin, giving it a classy, modern look. I also offer limited edition (to 15) prints of selected works. If you like my work, please get in touch because I've got plenty more than those shown here, with different colours/sizes/finishes/prices and I am very happy to host viewings by prior appointment. I will also consider commissions provided my creative freedom isn't overly compromised.