Growing up in Timaru in the eighties would rank as Roselyn's first achievement. No small feat when you live in a family of giants, Roselyn went on to become her own giant, a bundle of talent wrapped in some very tall skin.

Some Kiwi, some Dutch, some family talent, some determination, some exuberance, some zest for living, a flair for art, a love of finesse, all merge to make Roselyn the smart painter that audiences are starting to comment on, as she maps out her path to artistic independence.

When in Europe at the age of 18 on a working holiday, she was overwhelmed by the paintings and the landscape she saw there. While Holland was her mother's homeland, it was a foreign place for Roselyn, which challenged her to learn who she was and what she wanted to do. On her return began working with her father Geoff, as a graphic artist, and web page designer, whilst developing her painting skills and ideas.

Her series of paintings have been inspired by the cubist movement and in particular Juan Gris, who showed a 3D world as if looking though the facets of a crystal glass. This approach offered Roselyn the freedom to express herself and put her own interpretation on realistic situations and objects which have personal meaning.

The series unites her parent's different cultural backgrounds to show where she has come from. Her mother is symbolised in windmills and the iconic flat Dutch landscape. Her father is iconised by the sunrise and rolling hills round Fairview , which appear on his father's “Cloake's Honey” tin. Part of her interpretation is the use of her father's cartooning techniques to portray movement and time. By incorporating this fourth dimension, she has developed her own unique painting style.

My involvement in the arts

I have been on the committee for the past 10 years including president for four. The Aigantighe Art Museum in Timaru is well-known internationally for its unusual, dynamic and innovative programmes. It holds the South Island's third largest public art museum collection. The friends organisation is responsible for running Arty the art car, sponsoring 4 exhibition openings a year, fundraising and managing a substantial membership. For more information visit the website.www.aigantighe.org.nz

"Art and a building equals a gallery. But it is the artists, the staff, the members, the volunteers and the visitors who bring the "Arts Spirit" to life. At the end of the day it is about atmosphere, discussion and inspiration. There is plenty to be found at the Aigantighe." 
- Roselyn Cloake

ARTS CANTERBURY

I was on the the board of executives for Arts Canterbury from 2006-2009. The group of art enthusiats are developing a website and a printed guide book to profile Canterbury's artists, initially this is for the visual arts, then we will expand to the performing arts as well. www.artscanterbury.org.nz