New Zealand landscapes exhibition by Andrew Ross

Paintings of the Manawatu Gorge, Foxton Beach and the cliffs over the Rangitikei River are among a collection of New Zealand landscapes being exhibited by Manawatu artists Andrew Ross this month.

Mr Ross, who works as an accounting adviser to the University's College of Sciences, will exhibit between 12 and 15 oil on linen paintings at the Taylor Jensen Fine Arts Gallery in George St, Palmerston North, from October 15 until November 3.

The paintings include scenes from the Manawatu, Rangitikei, Taupo and South Island lakes.

Mr Ross says his style could be described as realism with an eye to capture the scene at its best. He says the process of painting is addictive but takes time, with many layers being used to slowly build up the effects.  "As a part-timer, many weeks go by before a work is finished," he says.

"Energy is focussed on conveying the feeling of a 'great view' and to create the impression that the viewer could actually be standing in the scene. I do a lot of painting in my mind before getting to the easel. I can still be surprised once the process begins, however, with the different turns that can eventuate, once the paint hits the canvas.

"I enjoy portraying a scene at its best. Some of this what I see on the day and some of it is how I imagine it under a given circumstance. I like to create depth in a picture so that you can look into it, not just at it with different detail becoming apparent as you move closer to the work.