Simon’s Path To A Creative Life
For the best part of two decades, Simon Lewis Wards was plagued with “a feeling of hopelessness” – unsure what life held for him. Now standing in his Waitākere studio as a working artist, Simon is a contented man.
Leaving school at 14, his creativity was tagging and graffiti “thinking of yourself as a bit of a badass” was the drive for the creative process. Then at 30 a friend introduced him to the art of glassblowing and he fell in love with the process!
“Half of the guys that I writ graffiti with now have an art practice – street art was our art school.” Everyone has a different path – Simon and those his graffiti art peers represent that any path can lead to creative and career fulfilment. “I’m really loving being an artist. I pinch myself multiple times a day – it’s kind of unbelievable in some sense,” he muses. “I feel right where I’m meant to be, more comfortable now than I’ve ever been and sure of myself. “
Simon Lewis Wards has made a name for himself with his vibrant glass works – especially his nostalgia-inspired ‘lolly’ art collection, with oversized Jet Planes, Milk Shakes and other old-school $1 mix favourites proving a hit with collectors and art lovers alike.
It’s a far cry from where this creative journey started!
Watch Steve In his Studio below.
Getting Started With An Artwork
Artists can often battle with procrastination, getting inspired or simply getting started on an artwork.
Here are five handy tips on things to do before starting to make an artwork and ways to keep the flow going!
Know your audience – have in mind who you are making the work for…Having a general idea about the audience who consumes your stuff is a good way to stay focused and ensure you end up with an artwork which can be shown outside your studio. It’s also OK to make it purely for yourself!
Have a self-imposed deadline – this creates just a healthy amount of pressure to work under to give the artwork momentum.
Choose your palette – Before you start take time to plan how your colours are going to work together.
Give the artwork the time it deserves – plan your time and then add on some hours to allow for unexpected things to happen. But also beware of perfectionism getting in the way!
Update your social media when finished – give that artwork the best lease of life you can by sharing it!
Visit and Be Inspired – But Be Quick!
Sculpture In The Gardens finishes soon!! Head along with friends and family and be wowed by the quirky and thought-provoking artworks, soaring monumental sculptures, and sound and light installations, each thoughtfully placed for maximum effect in the stunning Auckland Botanic Gardens.
Here is a taster of one of the sclutures – James Wright’s Long Fin Eels, Tuna – Kuwharuwharu is an installation of sculptures, made out of durable Corten steel, depicting three long-fin eels emerging slithering from the water, symbolising the importance of running creeks in our ecosystems. The didactic purpose of the work is balanced with the playfulness of its design, strength of form and its presence in space.
Auckland Botanic Gardens | 102 Hill Rd, Manurewa, |
Open everyday 10am – 6pm until Sunday 2 March 2025
Mercury Bay Art Escape
Mercury Bay Art Escape is your chance to visit 46 artists in the stunning coastal area of the Eastern Coromandel Peninsula, from Whangapoua to Tairua.
The annual artists’ open studios in the first two weekends of March each year, with a rich and eclectic mix of art mediums provides a unique opportunity to visit and chat with the artists in their studios, see their work in progress, find what inspires them and what new art they are working on and buy direct from their studio.Taking part in her studio this year is one of our customers – photographer Kate Beauchamp.
Kate is a member of the Photographic Society of New Zealand; in 2023 she gained Associateship honours with them and she is also currently training to become an accredited photographic judge.
Kate says “I love photography as a form of art and enjoy making creative images. Several years ago, I started photographing the birds in my garden and was inspired by whimsical paintings I’d seen of birds on teacups. I thought ‘I could do that’ and have been honing my technique and editing skills ever since”
Kate sets up her camera on a tripod, trained on her still-life stage, and waits patiently for a bird to land. She uses continuous shooting to capture multiple images, resulting in about 300+ photos. Then using Affinity Photo, she makes basic edits adding overlays of six or seven black-and-white texture images (things like rust, tree bark, peeling paint, moss) to create a more painterly aesthetic. “None of my images are composites and each of my bird images, apart from the texture, is what was in front of my lens at the time of capture.”
Artists’ studios will be open over the weekends of
March 1st – 2nd, & 8th- 9th | 10am to 4pm
The official blue ‘Art Escape’ flags will be displayed outside participating studios.
Visit Kates’ studio at 46 Robinson Road, Whitianga
Head To Namibia With PhotoPills
From September 10th to September 25th 2025, Carel Steenkamp and Rafael Pons from the PhotoPills Team will embark on an extraordinary journey across Namibia’s desolate Skeleton Coast. The trip will be to photograph the breathtaking Southern Hemisphere Milky Way, the wonders of the mesmerizing Kunene River mouth, untouched coastlines, abandoned mining sites, weathered shipwrecks, vast salt pans, vibrant wetlands, ancient rock carvings, endless dunes, dramatic valleys, rugged shores, ferocious crocodiles, elusive desert elephants, rare black rhinos… and the fascinating Himba people. Applications open soon so head below to register your interest.
Expressions Of Interest
NZ Sculpture OnShore, New Zealand’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibition is held every two years on Auckland’s North Shore. Expressions of interest are now sought from NZ and International artists for the next biennial exhibition in November 2025. Curator Sally Lush is looking for a range of new works or those not exhibited previously in Auckland that will suit the large, exposed cliff top site.
The artworks selected will range in scale from monumental stand-alone sculptures to domestic and small-scaled works, ephemeral projects, light and sound art works, interactive and participatory works, process art and site-specific installations utilising some of the historic built structures will also be included. Along with interactive and participatory works, we would love to see chairs, benches and seats of an artistic nature to create space for visitors to rest and contemplate during their visit.
Works that explore and raise awareness of the Women’s Refuge cause and those that relate to the history of the site will be encouraged and works that address issues of the environment, sustainability and political issues will be welcome to add to the dialogue, variety and appeal of the sculptural offering to the public.
Exhibiting at this event will expose your work to an expected 20,000 plus visitors, your work will be featured in our printed catalogue, on our website and in our advertising campaigns.
And Last But Not Least…
“Artists are not like athletes. We cannot win gold. We cannot beat other creatives. We cannot come first. Sport is objective. Our craft is subjective. Creating to ‘be the best’ is a waste of energy. Instead, create to connect to the people who need you. Because they’re out there. Create in your way, because there is no right way. Take the pressure off, and focus on your unique brand of magic.”