Mixing Media

Bernard Callinan

ABOUT:

Bernard’s images faithfully record the elements he sees through the viewfinder but has textures applied in post-processing that alters the light and feel of the visual work to reflect something that is part painting, part photo. He not only looks to historically record a particular place and time, but also connect with the viewer and invoke feelings of peacefulness, joy and wonder. Bernard’s aim is to have you step through dimensions and be present in the scene.

Bernard is self-taught and while his photography journey started as a teenager he had many decades away from this medium working the ‘normal’ 9 to 5 and helping to raise a family. About 10 years ago he picked up a camera again and living on the Gold Coast with beaches close by, sunrises became his go-to. Over the last 5 years Bernard has moved in and out of New Zealand and with beaches, headlands, waterways, boats, piers or jetties grabbing his attention, he has also started casting his eye further. Rural New Zealand is awash with subjects and Bernard is excited to see what he can make of what he is viewing through the camera lens and some examples are present in this exhibition.

Bernard’s use of textures overlayed on an image started out being very subtle but he is thoroughly enjoying being heavy-handed and exploring how far an image can be taken. The four corrugated pieces on display in this exhibition are an example of that and this method is an avenue he is looking to explore further, attempting to take photographic images into the abstract world.

This is Bernard’s first gallery exhibition after having a piece in the Matariki exhibition in 2025 and displaying pieces in the 2025 and 2026 Mangawhai Art Trails.

Bernard hopes viewers enjoy his work.

Keri Craike

ABOUT:

Since her debut exhibition, most notably the successful Matariki Art Exhibitions of 2024 and 2025, Keri has chosen to pursue a professional art career, enrolling in the Mastery Art Program with the Milan Art Institute.

Keri sees her art as a living expression of Wairua (spirit) and connection. She is committed to creating work that not only tells a story, but also offers a sense of healing, reflection, and upliftment, as well as playfulness for others.

Keri embraces the process of play, learning, and experimentation across different mediums and techniques. Inspired by the old masters and contemporary artists alike, she is currently joyfully immersed - some might say obsessed - in the intuitive art of collage and layering, where deeper meanings and messages often reveal themselves, but not limited to, with her passion for paint.