oliver kas

Oliver is a watercolour artist, raised in the Northern Rivers and recently relocated to Armidale, NSW. His works explore the natural and manmade beauty of the everyday, with subjects inspired by regional Australia and Europe. From a young age, Oliver displayed a keen interest in drawing, relishing the challenge of accurately capturing a subject in its simplest and truest form. Oliver’s inclination towards drafting complex shapes and exploring perspective led him to a career in engineering. Amongst the study and frivolities of university, followed by the demands of an office job, drawing and creative interests fell to the wayside. A surprising opportunity was offered up by the pandemic, Oliver finding himself suddenly without work for a time and in need of solitary hobbies. Plein air painting provided a new and exciting challenge. A passion for watercolour was discovered, the first steps in a lifelong pursuit.

Artist Statement: I am an engineer by day. Watercolour appeals to me as it is a construction project. A delicate assembly of overlapping, preconceived shapes, arranged to capture a scene, a feeling. As someone who is technical and analytical by nature, the water is my creative partner in this endeavour. It flows freely, providing the unexpected and the unreproducible—the magic that lies beyond my planning. There is a fragility to watercolour, it is held hostage to the conditions, the weather, the wind - timing is everything. This demands decisive action, acting on instinct. Over thinking is not rewarded, the prize a dead painting. I believe this makes watercolour the truest of mediums, the artist’s natural impulses are laid bare, with nowhere to hide. This work features some keen treasure hunters in an antique store in Uralla. The madam steals the show – her handsome outfit and gusto just meant I had to quickly slip my phone out for a sneaky reference picture. This is my ‘toe in the water’ moment for interiors, I found pulling this small work together quite the challenge but also very rewarding. New subjects offer great opportunities to learn, particularly the reversal of light compared with my typical outdoor scenes. I suspect there are to be more interiors in my future!