All three are very experienced in their mediums, with Colson having created for about 15 years and Taylor and Turner for about 50 years.
Colson primarily works in acrylic paints on canvas and wood.
Colson had an interest in art from a young age but got pushed into a financial career instead. She did this for many years before taking the opportunity to do an arts degree.
“I like the nature of the process of it, actually, and the present-moment experience that you have when you’re making art,” she said.
Taylor said he worked with mixed media, which sometimes involved printmaking and working on different surfaces like plastic.
“It’s abstracted landscapes, really, is what it is,” he said.
Art had always been a part of his life, as his dad was a painter, he said.
“I used to be sent up to bed on Saturday afternoons because he was going out in the evening, and I used to look at his paintings for a long, long time because I never used to sleep,” Turner said.
“I can’t remember ever thinking about not doing it, even at school.”
Turner comes from a fine arts background, working with sculpture, photography and printmaking, but recently returned to mainly working in paint.
“The works I’m doing at the moment are quite abstract, they’ve come out of an art therapy process that I’ve developed into (Carl) Jung-type mandala ideas.”
Turner said creating was a crucial part of being able to live his life happily.
“For me, art and life have always worked well together ... it’s just something I’ve always had to do.
“I don’t always do it, sometimes I take a rest from it too, but I find it a very therapeutic process.”
The artists were grateful to Betts for allowing them to show their works in such a unique setting.
“He is the reason we’re here, it’s extraordinary what he’s done here,” Turner said.
For Colson, it was her first time exhibiting at Bricksticks, but Taylor and Turner had done so before.
“It was nice to be asked by Greg to be a part of this because this is a bit more fun, lots of interaction, music, lots of other artists,” Colson said.
“It’s iconic this place, everybody likes to come to Bricksticks for Artists Open Studios.”
Turner said he thought there was something powerful that happened when a collective of artists gathered in a place like Bricksticks.
“The sharing off of each other, there’s an energy that happens and when people come in and experience that too it’s kind of special,” he said.
Artists Open Studios is on from today until April 2. Twin Kilns Gallery will be open from 9.30am to 4.30pm daily, between those dates, at 18a Georgetti Rd.
More information about the event is available at https://openstudios.co.nz/
