Margaret Woolley

Margaret Woolley – New Zealand Artist

Margaret Woolley began art training under the guidance of Dame Louise Henderson in 1964 and started exhibiting in 1971. In 1973 she won Premier Prize at the Pakuranga Arts Society Competition and In 1978 she attended the Richmond Art College in London and later that year had an exhibition in London. Later in 1984  she was the Invited Artist at the Adelaide Arts Festival.

Margaret is represented in collections in Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Portugal and the U.S.A. Today Margaret Woolley lives in retirement in Auckland with her husband. They frequently travel to Australia where they both share a love of yacht racing.

Career and Inspiration

Margaret Woolley describes her work as soft edged, textured, semi abstract with an interest in figures or landscapes. Her work is often influenced by her early years in Otago, the autumn tones can be seen in the colours she has selected to portray the landscapes of the South Island. For some works, her travels in India have influenced her which is evident in the bright colours used in specific projects. Woolley also enjoys painting female figures with an ethereal presence and uses titles which create a context and framework for the figures to be considered in; anticipation and friends being two of them.

Across Woolley’s interests there is an attention to colour and detail. Creating tonal nuances and textures, her work shares with us her experience of place and visual enjoyment. As mentioned earlier she remains influenced by her early years in Otago, though it is not about depicting Otago in detail, rather how she associates colour and texture to what it was like to be there. A skill which she continues to use successfully.

Examples of Margaret’s work can be viewed at Mobile Art Gallery in Mt Eden.