Anne Ruane & Wendy Lowe

Anne Ruane says 'I was lucky to go to a school where she had a good art teacher. On leaving school I went to Brighton Art College in the UK. After a year I had to earn a living so did a secretarial course but the desire to paint has never left me. I have also dabbled in crafts and taught leadlight glass work. I have painted with several art groups - Tauranga, Katikati and Omokoroa - where we had interesting tutors who showed different methods of painting.' Wendy Low describes herself as 'a self-proclaimed artist. Not looking to break any ceilings, but creating art for my own enjoyment and satisfaction; if it gets to hung on a wall and enjoyed, that’s great. Without art my life would be similar in some ways to staring at a blank canvas. I see colours, shapes, design and forms all around us and love to capture some of that, firstly in a photograph, and then transpired to a canvas. My mediums are acrylics pastel and mixed media. I like to use different techniques and experiment mixings things up a bit. For example, exposing an underpainting, scratching into wet paint, using water to create random drips and marks and using pens with pastels. I usually like to start and finish a piece in one sitting. Not everyone works like this, but it works for me. I do look at it again the next day and decide if it’s a keeper or needs a mod but I like to work fast and furious so I can get onto the next one.'