Riot of Colour Exhibition (2013)

Jos and Hilly arrived in New Zealand 25 years ago from Holland. After having lived in Northland and Cambridge they have recently settled in the Bay of Plenty.

This is their first joint exhibition in a gallery and a great opportunity for people to see their vibrant and colourful works.

Jos’ painting of Salvador Dali.

Jos’ colourful works on large canvases depict famous people.

Salvador Dali, Audrey Hepburn, the Dalai Lama, Albert Einstein and Nelson Mandela have provided rich subject matter for Jos’ brushy expressive style.

"I like to paint spontaneously, letting the colours form the picture.

"Every painting turns out differently and I can never predict the end result”, says Jos.

Hilly’s works are abstract and this will be her first public exhibition. In a short amount of time she has developed a distinctive abstract style.

She uses bold colours, lots of paint and recently won a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize at the Auckland Easter Show plus an Overall Winner of Show Medal.

’Wings’ - one of Hilly’s recent works.

“Jos has been working as an artist for more than 40 years, and he often told me to pick up a brush too,” says Hilly.

"I was busy with my work at the Cambridge Library and our four children but now I have started painting I’m loving it - I should have started earlier.

"I love using bright colours and enjoy seeing where the paint takes me.

"Every painting is an unfolding adventure".

The Coufreurs’ have a gallery and studio space at The Palm’s Cafe and Garden Centre in Pāpāmoa.

The exhibition can be seen at the Creative Tauranga Community Gallery for an extended time until 28th May.  

Find Jos and Hilly online:  www.jos-coufreur.com and www.hillycoufreur.com.

BTW - You can now view Jim Colzato’s latest film about Bay of Plenty artist Kristian Lomath on You Tube.

It’s a valuable insight into the artist’s thoughts and art making process.

by Pete Morris (May, 2013).

Pete Morris is an occasional painter and an art lover. He is a freelance writer with a particular interest in promoting the visual arts in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty.