Sean Mc Donnell is a New Zealand artist who uses bright colours to create vivid oil paintings and prints depicting the natural environment of New Zealand. Sean often begins the creative journey by photographing a specific place and then using that image as a starting point to play with paint. These images include reflections on water, flowers, trees, clouds and waves.

Trying to capture the ephemeral beauty of nature is one of Sean’s goals. Working intuitively, using direct brush marks in response to the last, building up a number of layers with varied energetic strokes. The works shimmer with movement and vitality. It almost looks like the painting itself is moving, with brush strokes dancing across the surface.

“The colours are often accentuated to emphasise the healing properties that nature has. Not intent to simply record the landscape, but rather to use it as my stylized representation so that I can treat paint as a vehicle to play with and let the work take on a life of its own”.

One of the underlying themes of Sean’s work has been the beauty and brevity of life and my own mortality. Sean hopes to emphasise and celebrate just how magical life is. Nothing stands still. All life is in a constant state of flux. The colours are often heightened to emphasise the fascinating, incredible healing properties that nature has. Sean hopes to help make people happier with his creations.