Other early art training gained by attending Nite School Art Courses in New Zealand.

The early works featured tight geometry with repetitious elements. Theses were developed on paper using pen and pencil combinations. Early influences were Escher and Picasso.

Title: Geometric landscape
Media: Pencil on cardboard
Date: Circa 1975

Entry was granted to the Wellington Polytechnic Textiles Course 1974. Offer was declined and a career in the craft of Painting and Paperhanging was pursued.

Title: Still life with guitars
Media: Pencil on cardboard
Date: Circa 1975

From 1975 to 1985 active in the Wellington, New Zealand music scene became a highly regarded keyboard, pianist, specialising in very Funky Clavinet, soulful Hammond Organ and quirky, funky Rhodes Piano, Yamaha Electric Grand and Acoustic Piano. "EELMAN RECORDS© was conceived by John Niland in the early 1980's, after seeing a cartoon by fellow HULAMAN Andrew Clouston. With technical and enthusistic assistance from Nigel Stone, EELMANRecords put a stamp on Wellington, New Zealand music. It was a particular group of Wellington and Auckland people who loved Soul, R&B, Funk, Jazz and Pop music. The label kicked off with the highly successful HULAMEN, BEER & SKITTLES, vinyl EP." Source: http://www.eelmanrecords.com

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Mid 1985, 'inside', John Niland Vinyl Recording, released 1985 Funded by QEII Arts Council Grant Nominated and Finalist for a Jazz Record Award All Compositions written John Niland Features Ross Burge - Drums and Rob Mahoney - Double Bass Now Reissued July 2007

Commence 1983 moved to Nelson New Zealand where I furthered my interest in solo piano and composition. While here I began to learn the Craft of Pottery. I learnt throwing and handbuilding techniques and an introduction to glazes.

Mid 1985 I moved to Australia to apply to study Jazz piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Missing an opportunity to gain entry I applied for and gained a position to study Ceramics at The National Art School, East Sydney Technical College. This period introduced me to Art History. In this environment I enjoyed developing a broad range of skills in Ceramics. My graduation work was a series of forms with glaze combinations. I was awarded a Dip Art (Ceramics) in 1989

The early 90s I spent working on the development of a series of notebooks with with various media studies. During this period I researched Chinese Buddhist Cave Paintings which became the basis of a series of works. I presented works for Sydney Festival and Sydney Opera House Competitions. While not successful this enabled me to learn to work to finished art and deadlines.

Notebook study
Book 3 1990 Notebook
Gouache, ink on notebook paper

The next project was an exhibition of decorated plates 1993 at the Mura Clay Gallery, Newtown. This series featured a new approach for me. I worked on a new series on paper using crayon and pastels and then scratching. This resulted in a scrafitto technique. The artwork was then reworked onto the ceramic plates. Influences at this time were the Paul Klee Notebooks.

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In the same year I presented a portfolio and gained entry to the University on New South Wales, Faculty of The College of Fine Arts, School of Design Studies in a Bachelor of Design Program.

During this time I developed Digital Computer skills. I majored in Graphics in my final year 1997 and presented a major work on the Beat generation writers Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William S Burroughs. This work featured a beat travel package with futuristic landscapes and 50s graphic development and concepts for Print, Web, Film and Television. I at this time began my Honours thesis in Designing for Cognitive Models and finished on graduation 1999.

   

The period from 1997 - 1999 while working in the Television Industry I went back to developing works in notebooks. During this period I concentrated on Collage and Pen drawings and researched print material for music club promotions. During this period I managed the production for the artwork for a compilation CD for EELMAN RECORDS, New Zealand which was released 2000.

Early 2001 I was approached to do a joint exhibition of my collage works in Melbourne, Australia in September of that year. These works featured found print material from pole posters to Bill Board Sheets. The basis of the work was the Cut Up techniques employed by Burroughs and Kerouac from my Beat generation study at University.

Mid 2002, I finally escaped working long hours in television production studios and cramped offices developing websites and discovered the natural environment again. I was invited to exhibit a series of work in Wellington, New Zealand. This series called the 'SUN SERIES' featured a landscape teaming with line drawings but dominated by a collaged yellow sun, cut up from yellow postcards that I had collected for the series.

July 2003 I commenced working on a new series of landscape works that again feature pen but explore the use of coloured pencils. This series is dominated by my research and digital photography of clouds which commenced December 2002 through February 2003 while working and holidaying in New Zealand.