2008 Episode 7: Dean Buchanan and Christine Hellyar
Dean Buchanan - painter
"The thing is I'm totally in love with the mountains and the
landscape, .. I'm not being spiritual either. I
love just to look at a landscape and think about the origins of it,
the geology of it and also landscapes make up different
feelings. Niches. What I'm gonna try and do in here is in the
ravines and where the ice is coming down it's going to feel like
those cold places and recesses that you don't want to go."
Dean Buchanan is a climber and a painter, a superbly fit man now
in his 50s, whose daily exercise regime would daunt an athlete half
his age. The stamina and energy gained in cycling and climbing
mountains has been channelled daily for over 30 years into
producing a stream of large oil paintings which reflect his passion
for the New Zealand outdoors.
"My attitude has always been 'never, never fail or give up'. If you
just lean on it and do what you got to do, you make it happen."
Operating from his home and studio overlooking Auckland's West Coast beaches, and largely outside the official "art scene", Dean has developed his own unique style - deeply-felt, complex and colourful depictions of New Zealand mountains, bush, beaches and seascapes.
This episode (part of an irregular "Profiles" series on mid-career artists and directed by Bruce Morrison) follows Dean's punishing exercise regime as he cycles miles of West Coast roads and returns to Ruapehu - a regular pilgrimage.
It also documents the complete realisation of a major mountain
painting from first crayon outline to final brushstroke in oil,
giving unique insights into his technique, style and
motivation.
"If I've ever been worried about what I'm going to paint next I
just rip into a painting and it's all over. It's resolved."
Christine Hellyar: A Profile
Christine Hellyar is not only one of New Zealand's finest
sculptors, she is also very good at talking about what lies behind
her work. In this documentary, Christine guides viewers through the
creation of four different sculptures for four different locations.
See these sculptures emerge from original concept to working
drawings, to models, and finally to the construction of the
finished pieces.
