Date2013DescriptionFiona Goulding was born in England. Inspired by voluntary work undertaken in Africa, she spent several years travelling through India, Nepal, New Zealand and Australia. It was the sheer beauty and variety of the New Zealand landscape which drew her to making New Zealand her home. Fiona is entirely selftaught and it is easy to see why her work is often described as 'exquisite'. Her finely executed oil paintings are influenced by the unequivocal beauty found in nature and the connection she feels with this. She loves to get immersed in nature's detail: its sculptural qualities, nuances of colour and effect of light. Although inspired by Realism, particularly the Dutch artist, Gerrit Dou, she prefers her inspiration to come directly from her own findings and responses to her environment. In the photo we see Fiona with her painting 'Meandering', a piece inspired by watching mallards enjoying a swim on a lake in the Sounds, South Island. "The light catching the ripples created beautiful reflections", she says. Photo: Pete Morris (2013)._x000D_