Katianne Balmer
ABOUT KATIANNE BALMER
Katianne Balmer is an emerging artist from Albany, Auckland. Katianne's parents were originally from South Africa and she always had a passion for animals because of her African roots. She studied a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity at Victoria University of Wellington and has spent time volunteering at Zealandia eco-sanctuary as a guide and at Wellington Zoo, all the while drawing commissions and selling prints and cards. This has led to Katianne's recent decision to take the plunge into becoming a full-time artist.
"I love waking up in the morning knowing I get to create beautiful things for people and that I am fortunate enough to do what I truly love. It's been a dream come true to have my art up in a gallery as I never thought I'd be able to do that. It took me a while to work out what I did want to do with my life as I did consider doing a fine arts degree, but as the style I enjoy is hyper-realistic and I don't wish to do another style, I don't want to potentially ruin my passion." Katianne's style is ultra-realistic, as a perfectionist drawing from photos for reference she will draw everything she sees, down to the last wrinkle. "I find it insanely exciting, however it does test my patience a lot as the works always take a long time, but I know they will always be worth the effort. I absolutely love plants and animals, which is why a lot of the subject matter I draw is scientific-like drawing in hyper-realistic pencil with incredible accuracy. I love a minimalist look and try to always keep my art simple and clean." Katianne is also a part-time art instructor at Pinot and Picasso in Auckland where she enjoys teaching people how to draw and paint. As an emerging artist herself, she wants to keep growing and changing in order to get better and faster in her own drawing and painting skills. We absolutely love Katianne's clean, precise pencil works and are fascinated by her ability to bring intense detail to a seemingly simple piece. Knowing each drawing has taken many hours to create brings a real appreciation for her work, there is an understated elegance to her art that is to be celebrated. |