Bay Harbour: September 16, 2020

FEATURED ARTIST
HARRIET
MILLAR
ARTISTS BIOGRAPHY
Harriet was born in Manchester and
brought up in a place called Wirral
(Merseyside) just south of Liverpool.
Drawing and painting for her was
all consuming.
At 18 she left Wirral Art School for a
place at Derby University to study Art
History and Psychology, this was
followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in
Sport Science at John Moore’s University
Liverpool. Then came a move to New
Zealand and five children later, Harriet
decided after her parents died and left
her a few bob (not much) she would love
to spend it on a piece of art work.
After about six months of searching
Harriet wondered if she could actually
make the art she was searching for.
Harriet then invested in a $400 huge
canvas and painted her two youngest
children. This was followed by a painting
of all five children.
After several people asking if Harriet
could do the same for them she
wondered if I was onto something.
Harriet realised that if she was on this
path she needed to train after so many
lost years. Harriet trained at a workshop
in Sydney Australia with her favourite
and hero artist Richard Claremont who
changed everything, he taught Harriet
to paint looser!
Harriet does not regard herself as an
artist, a designer of artwork seems
more accurate. This is because she
does not believe she is technically
brilliant . Harriet does know a good
composition when she sees one. It’s
taken Harriet a lifetime to realise you
don’t have to be Michelangelo, you
need to find your niche, the thing that
works for you. Harriet couldn’t work
with the rules, they don’t work for her,
that’s not to say she does not get the
rules! Harriet never clicked with the
academic side of art (she does
understand it), it’s just not for her.
Harriet paints what she see at that
moment, nothing else matters and
whatever happens, happens. All sense
of time is lost, she does not actually
remember doing the work. Harriet
paints the composition that fits with
the way her mind works. She loves
geometric shapes, reflections of light
and naturally forming patterns.
The New Zealand landscape offers a
perfect opportunity to discover new
shapes and colour tones while
providing the story of people’s lives.
What makes a person buy a particular
piece of work is what interests her,
their story! Whether they were married
in that spot or the flowers remind them
of their mother, it means a lot to Harriet
and she loves hearing about it, it means
you have a connection.
Mtpleasantartex
The Mount Pleasant Community Centre
3 McCormacks Bay Rd, Mount Pleasant, Christchurch 8081