Artist Shane Gault mixes technology with nature

23 Mar 2023

The playfulness of the Resene colours used in Shane Gault’s art is sure to catch your eye. Working with a mix of painting and sculpture, Shane’s unique art is inspired by nostalgic computer games, ’80s pop culture, and nature.

Shane has always dabbled in a bit of art and design, originally starting a Bachelor of Architecture before pivoting to become a teacher, which is currently his full-time job. It wasn’t until he did a drawing for a friend as a gift, which generated some buzz, that led Shane to producing more art and in a wider variety of styles.

This is a timeless work of art, great for those who love colour or want a pop of vibrant shades to break through a home in neutrals. Shane’s piece, McIntosh Tartan, is painted in Resene Black for the background, Resene Pursuit, Resene Countdown, Resene Livewire, Resene Nordic, Resene County Green and Resene Double Resolution Blue.

“Art and design has always been a dormant volcano, so to speak,” Shane says. “I now have two main avenues - digital drawing, using my iPad to create limited edition prints, and 8Bit wooden painted sculptures. 

“In a nutshell, I use technology to explore creative ideas, and as a bit of a pop culture nerd from the  ’80s, I am currently exploring classic 8-bit graphics represented in sculpture.”

A close up of Shane’s piece, McIntosh Tartan, clearly showing the thought and detail gone into his work. Paints used here are Resene Black for the background, Resene Pursuit, Resene Countdown, Resene Livewire, Resene Nordic, Resene County Green and Resene Double Resolution Blue.

Shane’s ‘8Bit sculptures’, are made using an existing image or photograph, which Shane then turns into a grid using Adobe Illustrator. Using the Resene Find-A-Colour tool, Shane finds the perfect Resene paint colour to match the shades from the image.

Taking a printed version into a Resene ColorShop, Shane finds the colour swatches and makes sure they are a good match. Cutting long pine mouldings, painted in Resene Black, into individual ‘pixels’ of various sizes, Shane then dips these into the Resene paints before gluing them to a MDF or ply backing.

A great piece for those wanting some nature inspiration in their home. Shane’s piece, Tui, is painted in Resene Tree Frog for the background, Resene Element, Resene Astronaut, Resene Relax, Resene White, Resene Saddle Brown and Resene Cinnamon.

“I’ve always used Resene paints for my home projects, so it was a natural progression once I started my art,” Shane says. “The Resene online colour match tool drives my palette, and is totally image dependent. When focusing on the 80’s stuff, I go for the brightest, most vibrant colours I can find.

“The origin for my drawings came from gazing at a huge Tapa cloth that I was given as a gift many years ago. I was inspired by the simplicity of the patterns, drawn from nature, and began using them as the basis for my art.”

Two of Shane’s favourite are his ‘Space Invaders’ sculpture (also featured in habitat issue 38), for its bright shades, fun design and nostalgic aspect; and ‘Tui’, as this was the first 8Bit sculpture Shane designed where the entire process was his own, rather than referencing an existing image. A piece to be proud of.

Inspired by the early computer games he grew up with, Shane’s piece, Space Invaders, is painted in Resene Black for the background, Resene Pursuit, Resene Juicy, Resene Turbo, Resene Malibu and Resene Groovy.

Although his art is covered with vibrant and pulsating shades, Shane’s personal favourites are two classic and timeless neutrals – Resene Alabaster, which he says is the perfect canvas for beautiful things, and Resene Element, a deep, moody colour that’s also featured in his 8Bit Tui’s wings.

If you’re looking to add to your colourful interior, or add a pop of vivid artwork to your neutral walls, make sure to check out Shane’s collection online at 4hoovesdesign.co.nz

Shane’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shanegault/

Published: 23 Mar 2023