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Todd Sheridan

Like most regions Gisborne has it's fair share of creative people and one of those is Todd Sheridan. A recent long distance graduate from The Learning Connexion (TLC), and now professional artist with his own thriving studio, Todd puts his success down to studying at TLC. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made, other than becoming a professional artist!”

Todd’s work is inspired by, and delves deeply into the work of earlier traditional carvers and artists. He seeks to understand how they lived, what they thought, and the messages they left behind. Tapping into that language, the most obvious difference in his work, between more traditional carvers and Todd, is in the type of materials he uses. A glass convert, he finds this modern media amplifies his ideas in ways that would be unimaginable in a more conventional medium.

Working as a relief teacher at Gisborne Boys High School where they have a whakairo (carving) class, Todd also manages local community art programmes, and is working with his iwi, Nga Rauru, in South Taranaki to help develop a curriculum that supports local tamariki (children) in schools.

A winner of two Taranaki Art awards, Todd is presently working on a group exhibition with other local artists for the Te Urunga Toi exhibition, to be held at Tirohi Gallery, Kaiti Mall, Gisborne on Thursday, December 17^th; and on a mixed media sculpture for the 2016 Harbourview Sculpture Trail. You can view some more of his amazing work online at www.facebook.com/purenzart/.

As a student at The Learning Connexion (TLC), Todd completed the Certificate and Diploma programmes, choosing to focus on sculpture and printmaking both of which are a major component of his art practice today.

TLC offers NZQA qualifications in a wide variety of creative courses from certificate level up to an advanced diploma programme. A vibrant learning environment with specialist facilities, students are given the opportunity to explore their inner voice whether that is in the foundry room for melting bronze and casting, the welding and fabrication room to create giant metal sculptures, or in the black smithing studio for some seriously sharp knife making. Current courses on offer are 3D, design, drawing, painting, photography, videography and computer graphics.

To find out more about how you can study art at The Learning Connexion call 0800 ART POWER (0800 278 76937) or visit our website www.tlc.ac.nz