I have always been a lover of animals and birds (large and small). Each and every animal is unique and being able to capture that quality on a canvas brings me endless amounts of joy. No matter where I am I can always find beauty in the world when I look at nature and animals.
I begin every painting with their eyes. They say the eyes are the window to the soul and until I capture the emotion and/or their unique personality in the eyes I cannot continue. Once I have achieved this I feel connected and emotionally invested in my work and can proceed. The greatest compliments I receive is when a buyer tells me they were compelled to purchase my work as they felt a connection with the subject and that my artwork touched them in some way.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE ARTIST
MY STORY
I was born in the Netherlands and raised in Melbourne Australia before moving to Perth in my 30’s. I was fortunate to have an uneventful early childhood but then lost my mother at age 11 and was estranged from my father by age 13.
My early thrust into adulthood left little time to explore my hidden talents or abilities. It was not until my late 40’s that I picked up a paintbrush for the first time. I remember sitting back with my $2 paint brush and a cheap set of paints and looking at what I had just created thinking “did I do that?” and “how did I do that?”. I felt a feeling of utter excitement as I saw the potential of a whole new world opening up ahead of me by being able to see the world through a painter’s eye.
Several weeks later and armed with a set of professional paints I painted my 4th painting which subsequently sold within 15 minutes of being uploaded to an online art site (bluethumb.com.au) with the next half a dozen selling within the first week.
From here I continued to work on commission items and on original paintings for my gallery to ensure my buyers constantly have new pieces of work available for purchase. Due to high demand I commenced making fine art prints on canvas and paper so as to make my work available and affordable to a wider audience without compromising my original pieces.
Since embarking on my art career, I have discovered a long history of artists in my family which might explain my inherent ability and passion for what I do, none of which would have been possible without the amazing support of my family and friends.
OUR STORY- GREG &
Greg and Johanna recognized a gap in the market when Johanna became increasingly frustrated at the obstacles she faced as an artist when trying to get her work out there. As a new artists it was difficult to find affordable and quality printing, framing, canvases and art photography.
There were places that did some of the above but the quality and affordability varied considerably and there seemed to be no one who did it all in one place.Initially Greg started making Johanna's frames for her exhibitions. However, in 2020 Greg made the decision to step away from a 40 year career in Human Resources to pursue something more fulfilling.
At this point Johanna and Greg decided to set up a business together to help artists to access affordable printing, framing and canvas options without compromising on quality.
Almost two years on Larkin Framing works with more than 140 artists across Australia.Working with artists has proven to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things we have ever done. we spend out days meeting artists, appreciating art and watching the joy when an artist comes to pick up their newly frames artworks, their beautiful prints or the excitement of having new quality artist canvases ready for their next masterpiece.