Revitalised UK artist featuring in annual Coromandel art event

A UK artist who spends every summer in New Zealand will produce vibrant new figurative works in the Mercury Bay art escape event which opens on the Coromandel later this month.

Billie Mallett, from Devon, started painting more seriously in her 50s after her husband died eight years ago. At first it was just a way of her processing her change in life, but as the years went by Mallett has spent more time painting and has finally grown from someone who paints to being a full-time artist.

``l mostly paint stylised nudes, but this year l have started painting a few landscapes, just to stretch myself out of my comfort zone. But I just love coming here every year. There is openness to the arts and l feel I can relate to the people. It’s more intimate and accessible.

``I also love the power of the landscape, the total contrast of the light and shadows and the high sky. There is room to breathe. The Mercury Bay event is great. Everyone has been so kind and embracing. I am grateful to have had such encouragement.

``l mostly paint women and express my feelings and emotions through what l paint. There is no end to the ways in which the human figure can depict emotions. Join this with colour and you have the potential for limitless story and drama.

``My figures are mostly nudes because that takes them out of time and history, and place them into the symbolic and the iconic. The naked body has an endless fascination for everyone. It’s part of being human, we want to discover the other, we never get fed up with beholding another human.’’

Mallett says portraits are her biggest challenge but they bring the greatest satisfaction. She attempts to paint the subject in such a way as to give a sense of them being with you, an "essence of their presence."

Recently Mallett has found herself painting dancing couples ,quite a departure from her usual work, l am reluctant to admit that my work does "tell tale "about my life ,it just keeps popping out, these new works express interrelationships and what a merry dance they can be !

Mallett also hopes to exhibit in Christchurch and Akaroa before returning to Devon in April.

``l have been fortunate to spend part of each year in New Zealand, finding more and more time to paint. l love the landscape which l often see as the human form "lolling around the hills." the sharp shadows and intense colours are beginning to have an increasing affect on my work.

``My hope is to continue to spend some of each year in NZ painting to build up a good body of work and hopefully going on to improve with age!"

The Mercury Bay Art Escape will be held over two weekends: February 26-28 and March 5- involving 39 artists based from Tiara to Otara Beach north of Whiting. You can see Billie s work exhibited at the cafe/restaurant Eccentric in Flaxmill Bay.

Participants include nationally-recognised painters Michael Smother, George Biology, Rachel Olsen, Paula McNeill, Lucy Horne and Suzie Superstar and sculptor Chris Charters.