Colour Your World

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Richard 's Art can be purchased here.

Lazy Hazy days of Summer

Bush Track

New Zealand artist Richard Ponder has developed his art into colourful free-flowing expressionistic paintings. Explosive oil colours with thin tra nsparent areas partially covered with thick sculptured impasto sweeps and slashes. impasto bravado curls, thin transparent areas, sweeps and slashes dominate stylistically. Some of his earlier paintings were designed to be back-lit, accentuating the jewel-like thin transparent areas. Subjects of the recent paintings include landscape, cityscape, floral, urban, portraits, as well as an important pondscape series, and paintings that come directly from his soul.

Painting professionally since the 1970's, Richard Ponder first started painting with his father in New Zealand. During his four years of painting in Australia the artist developed the palette knife technique which he passed onto many followers, including his brother Michael Ponder.

His work to promote Realism in Australia met with this criticism -

“These are the worst paintings I have ever seen. I advise you to stop painting.

The criticism only spurred him to improve his art and develop his original techniques further. He is now well known and sought-after for his expressionistic paintings, impressionistic flower series and his representational paintings, especially landscapes. During the 1990's Richard's painting styles burgeoned, steering away from representational and influenced by such artists
as Monet, Van Gogh,Perceval, Pollock, Affandi and Sumadiyasa. Recent work of Richard’s and a handful of selected New Zealand artists including Mike Ponder are on display at the Ponders' RONA GALLERY in Eastbourne Wellington, New Zealand.

“My love of roaming the New Zealand backcountry with my family led me to concentrate on landscape painting in the late 1970’s and early 80’s I was especially interested in composition and the interaction between colours in different lights. During this period, dawn with its variety of light and colour interested me most, and so many of my paintings were based on early morning observations. This work came together in my first book “Quiet Places”, published in 1987. The three thousand copies were quickly sold. On the proceeds of its success, Joanna and I visited galleries in Australia, America and Europe. I fell in love with the strength of Van Gogh, the impressions of Monet, the colour of Perceval and the exhalation of Pollock.”


At this stage Richard was still unwilling to compromise his very popular style. That is until he saw the work of Affandi and Sumadiyasa. He quickly threw caution to the wind, developing a bolder approach and a new style that has bourgeoned and flourished into the distinctive cityscapes, flowers, landscapes and abstracts both expressionistic and expressionistic that display not only his versatility but his ability to push art into new, hitherto unseen directions. He is a true virtuoso of the art scene, even so his style and panache is absolutely unmistakeable, often copied you will find the imitations pale in comparison to the real thing.

Sought after as an art mentor and teacher, Richard often makes time to help new artists, although he is not looking for new artists to exhibit at this time.
Richard’s other hobbies are writing and walking along the Eastbourne beach, to date he has four art books under his name, Caught on Canvas, Painted Days, Richard Ponder and Quiet Places (sold out), and an ABC book for older children learning to read, [the adventures of Barbara’s Carolyn, the Devilish Elf], he is currently working on a new project which is being kept under wraps. It might take a while because, of course, his art remains his paramount love.

To see Richard's paintings or prints follow the links.

 

Richard Ponder

Irises at Dusk, NZ $3,900

Richard's art never stops growing and changing, he re-invents himself again and again.

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