New Zealand Artist Colin Unkovich

Specialises in original airbrushed  art work inspired by the landscape, coast and people of New Zealand.

New Zealand artist Colin Unkovich  welcomes you to  his website. Based in Northland, Colin Unkovich is one of New Zealand’s most skilled Airbrush Artists. Colin has been Airbrushing since the late 1970’s becoming a full time Artist in 2006.

Colin's Latest Painting

His finely detailed contemporary Artworks often feature very smooth transitions of colour which give each of his works a unique feel and sense of mood. Airbrushing can be an incredibly slow and painstaking method of painting but it lends a unique quality to the subject matter. Colin is self taught and has developed many special techniques that allow him to highlight the interplay of light and shadow that can give a transient form or a fleeting glimpse, an almost sculptural quality. Colin draws his inspiration from the natural forms of New Zealand, particularly the coast and the unusual quality of light it possesses.

“I consider myself to be extremely fortunate in that I don’t have to look very far for inspiration or motivation for my work. My studio is nestled in the bush overlooking the Pacific Ocean and this alone provides me with an endless variety of nuances of light and colour. I sometimes think I am a bit spoiled for choice. The physical location of my studio also serves me in another way. It allows me to continue to develop my own particular style. We all tend to be effected by our surroundings and as an artist this often shows through in the end product. This is certainly true for me. Trying to capture the moods of our New Zealand coastline is, I find, a challenging and very pleasurable endeavour. I find that using the airbrush as my painting tool, lends a smooth, almost mellow quality. Airbrush painting is a less common artist's medium than some others, partly I think because it is so time intensive, but it is exactly this which makes the end result so special.

The way that I work is by using a series of many, many translucent layers of paint to get the particular shades of colour that I am seeking. I find that by painting in layers, rather than starting by mixing an exact colour, it gives the work a life and vibrancy - almost an inner glow, as light reflects and refracts differently off the different levels of colour. As I say, it is a slow process but I think it is well worth the effort."

Colin aims to create paintings which bring pleasure to the eye and give a true sense of the subject while sometimes leaving enough latitude for individual interpretation as to allow the brain to engage and finish the story.

Colin has been part of various gallery exhibitions in New Zealand and his paintings hang in collections in New Zealand, the UK, America, Asia and Europe.