Rick Edmonds

I work full time as an artist, and have done so for most of my life. I have produced a significant body of work, the majority of which represents the Marlborough Sounds in some form or other, where I live and work. This sense of belonging, motivates most of my art.

My paintings and prints are featured in collections around the world and throughout NZ, including the NZ Parliament Collection. I have recently exhibited in New York. While my initial studies may be watercolors or pencil work, my final studio paintings tend to be either oils or acrylic and airbrush. Typically, the work is realistic in style, with strong composition, and particular emphasis on the portrayal of water effects. Often my own presence in the picture is acknowledged by the depiction of the ripples or wake of my boat upon the sea.

I have also produced several books, either as writer or illustrator, including a fully illustrated autobiography. As a playwright, I have published eighteen full length plays, and have produced and directed most of them as theatre productions, winning several awards in the process.

I am regularly contracted by the Department of Conservation, and by various councils, to write, design, and produce artwork that interprets NZ’s natural and social history and this work is on display throughout the country.

I am the instigator of the Link Pathway, a 42 km-long arts trail that runs through the inner Marlborough Sounds.

I have been made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to the arts.