I was born in 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, and have lived in Wellington with my family for 10 years. My artistic career has been a mid life venture for me, and my return to study has resulted in a Diploma (Advanced) in Art and Creativity form Wellington’s Learning Connexion. This has been a departure from my background in psychology, social work, management consultancy and training.

Over the years, I have had great opportunity to travel and have lived and worked in the UK, USA and Middle East, soaking up very diverse influences which are reflected in my painting. I am undoubtedly influenced by the complexities of rhythm and pattern from the art of my Celtic heritage, from the image free ‘text’ based work of Islamic artists and, more recently, from the linear works of Australian aboriginal artists. The material qualities of paint and its pattern making potential interest me more than visual imagery, as do the textural and aesthetic qualities of surfaces. My painting process essentially focuses on the residues of dragged paint and I am developing work along two distinct lines which have become known as my ‘drag paintings’ and ‘text paintings’.

The ‘text’ paintings develop through the use of buried text - layer upon layer of words dragged from swathes of paint, often in transparent colours, worked like a mantra until they are unreadable. Only a pattern made by the shape and rhythm of the words remains, and for me represents a complex visual meditation.

My ‘drag’ paintings are an exploration of the relationship between a material and its support. The focus of my attention lies in what is left behind when paint, pigments and mediums are dragged over a variety of surfaces. The material performs, then I direct, producing surfaces which are often linear with a fabric quality to their appearance.

I have been regularly exhibiting these works nationally over the past seven years and have undertaken private and corporate commissions. My paintings have won awards, including a Creative Residency on Mana Island from Pataka Museum of Arts and Culture, and several galleries nation wide have exhibited my work (for full exhibition history, see www.stokes.net.nz). In Wellington, I am a regular exhibitor at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts and am represented by the Gilberd Marriot Gallery. My latest solo show of paintings at Pataka represented a departure form previous work, in that it sat on cross-cultural boundaries. Recently, I was trained and certified by New York based Golden Artists Colours Ltd. as an Artist Educator and have begun work on a programme of workshops from my home based studio.

My paintings are now held in collections throughout NZ, Australia, UK, USA, Canada, China, and in the Turkish Embassy, Wellington.

Contact details:
Tel. (04) 973 7305
e.mail: moragstokes@paradise.net.nz
www.stokes.net.nz
www.facebook.com/morag.stokes.artist

Portfolio: