"I feel such a strong spiritual sense of belonging in these areas and am constantly drawn back to the fold."

Tim Wilson

Born in Palmerston North, Tim Wilson's first trip to the South Island was with his 5th form class during the August school holidays in 1970. As a 16 year old he vividly remembers his awe when travelling down the West Coast and through Haast Pass to Queenstown, thrilling at the power of the Landscape on his emotions.

In Tim's own words, "as the panorama from the isthmus between Lake Wanaka & Lake Hawea came into view it burned an indelible impression on my soul. I knew at that moment my calling. The Haast has such variety of mood and form. The play of light on mists and the seasonal change within inspire such a wide range of emotions. It’s these emotions I aim to portray. I am not simply painting the landscape but the emotional response engendered by it."

"My first trip into the Matukituki Valley was a very difficult one. It was as if I was trespassing and being warned to go no further. An incredible sense of oppression and sadness prevailed. I was being judged in this place, dared almost to continue. Pushing on I came to a bend in the road and was rewarded with such an extraordinary vista filled with incandescent light. The Gods were in this place and I, a mere awestruck mortal, agog at such beauty."

"I found out not long after that this valley had seen much tragedy and wondered if that’s what I was sensing, knowing I would return to this place again and again to be tested. I feel welcome now, as though family."

"Painting the Matukituki, Wakatipu, Manapouri, Te Anau, Wanaka and much more of this remarkable country has taught me so much about myself. I feel such a strong spiritual sense of belonging in these areas and am constantly drawn back to the fold."

"I will be, when I am 90."

"The more I paint the more I see and learn and evolve both a person and as an artist."

Anita May Blanchett

"From the age of five I yearned to be a painter. An epiphany in Florence at the age of thirty-three re-awakened that dream."

"Returning to NZ two weeks later, I met renowned NZ landscape painter Tim Wilson. His encouragement was the catalyst to follow my dream. Originally self-taught, I spent six years exploring and experimenting across many grounds, genres and methods. In2004, Tim invited me to work in situ with him. So began a four-year, full-time, one on one apprenticeship, which utterly transformed my life. Working alongside Tim - a self-taught genius who has painted in oil for a lifetime - was nothing short of magic.

Painting is one of the most fulfilling experiences I know. When I’m at the easel I feel like I belong. I feel intuitively that I am a part of, and connected to, something much bigger than myself, serving a greater purpose than I could possibly begin to understand. The more I paint, the more I see and learn and evolve, both as a person and as an artist. The inspiration for me is the journey, and my art is the means by which I am able to share it."

Alison Gilmour

Alison was born in Auckland, New Zealand, growing up near Narrow Neck Beach. This has instilled a deep love of the sea which has inspired her to paint it in its many forms.

She captures the endless beauty of her environment with delicate brushwork – creating images which have a photo-realistic quality and hues which reflect the clarity, light and richness of the South Pacific. She is driven by a compulsion to paint the movements and patterns of nature, icons and symbols of the places she loves.

Alison paints as she sees paradise, the absence of civilisation almost always apparent as she focuses on the light playing on pristine water, foliage and sand – preoccupied with changes to colours of land, sea and flora. These evocative paintings are striking, surprising and memorable in their representation.

For several years Alison has been a protegée of Tim Wilson, one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed landscape artists. Through working with Tim and exhibiting in his exclusive gallery, Alison has increased her global profile, increased the value to her already very successful paintings and continues to learn about her craft and life.

Voted People’s Choice NZ Yacht Squadron Art Show (2009).

Alison has been published in four books: 

Edited by the late Denis Robinson
‘ New Zealand’s Favourite Artists’
 ‘A Painted Country’
 ‘Artists’ Impressions of New Zealand’

Edited by Adam Kennedy, USA
 ‘Best of Worldwide Watermedia Artists’

Judy Curnow

"Every day I feel so blessed and fortunate not only to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but to do what I love doing above everything else and that is to paint."

Judy has painted from an early age and is predominantly self-taught. Over the past few years she has felt extremely honoured to have been mentored by Tim Wilson himself, learning from him many invaluable techniques that have enabled her paintings to get to the level where they can feature in the exclusive Tim Wilson Gallery in Queenstown.

She draws her inspiration from beautiful surroundings; her garden, nature, the mountains and lakes on her doorstep and whatever ignites the joy within her every day. Judy's work is a deep reflection of the happiness in her life.
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Once the contemplation and composition of every one of her original works is clear, she sets to capturing the image in her mind, styling and changing it to make it her own creation.
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Each painting is a one-off individual piece. Judy adores colour and texture and must have these elements in her work. She uses the best quality oil pigments and enjoys the blend of brushwork and pallet knife that comes to life as she paints.
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Because Judy's paintings are highly decorative pieces she tries to emphasize the beauty and complexity that can only be achieved on the canvas from her imagination.