Tackling art head on with a bold, brave approach

By Peter Gibbs

Artist Juliana Trolove - photograph by Bedan Fastier / Nelson Mail

Interviewing an artist remotely is a risky business.

I emailed Wakefield artist Juliana Trolove as she was preparing for her exhibition This Life, to be held in the McKee Gallery in the Suter from November 24.

Before I had a chance to frame some serious questions, she sent me an enthusiastic and lively summary of her art journey so far.

The words were bold and expressive and I wasn’t surprised to see that her paintings had the same attributes.

She entered adult life by way of a commerce degree at Otago University in 1991, then went on to a Diploma in Visual Communications at Canterbury University, finishing in 1994.

She said of her university days at Canterbury:

“I majored in visual design and metalwork (jewellery). In those days it was like a trade school and we trained under glorious artists such as Bing Dawes and Sandra Thompson, Cheryl Lucas and Graham Bennett.

“Each week we did illustration, figure drawing, photography, sculpture. The first computers were arriving so the option to do computer graphics was a new fandangled thing!”

Juliana Trolove ‘Flower 2’ (oil on canvas)

Next was the business of life, children and doing various graphic design jobs. A move to Nelson in 2017 set in motion the business of painting.

“I hired a studio in the old Refinery building where I painted really badly for about two years. Only flowers as they were there and I could really look at them. And oils. I did a few classes with the lovely Jo Tyson and David Ryan. They became great sounding boards to my disasters.”

Exhibitions about town led to applying and being accepted in the Nelson Suter Art Society in 2018.

In her emails, what came across was huge energy and an enthusiasm for life.

She listed her favourite artists and without doubt they all exhibited a similar enthusiasm with bold, gestural styles using bright colours.

“I always wake up with a new thing I have to try and achieve or capture. It could be a sky, a ripple and child’s hair, anything interests me. But light - really it has to be the light and the emotion that that scene evokes for me. Whatever it is at that moment. Who knows what that is.

“Also I am untidy and impatient so I use a palette knife. I don’t have to clean the brush, just wipe it clean.”

Juliana Trolove ‘Abel Tasman Kayaks’ (oil on canvas)

I finally met Juliana when she brought her paintings in for framing.

My initial impressions were true. She’s a larger-than-life, confident person, who goes straight to the point.

We had a coffee and a chat about the business of art. Juliana has joined an artist co-operative in Mapua and was interested to know about similar ventures.

She summed up her approach to art:

“It’s all about honesty. Each painting has to be authentic. If there is something that is annoying in a painting or doesn’t quite work, you just have to scrape it off. Sometimes it is heart breaking , but it always comes right.

“It is such a privilege to be able to do this. It is so essential. I just love it.”

This Life, an exhibition by Juliana Trolove at the McKee Gallery in the Suter, November 24 to December 13.