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My Passion & Background

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Picture

I believe it is imperative to start out drawing and painting with a solid technical, fundamental base of realistic drawing and painting skills.

Like when building a house, a solid foundation is vital. It is from this firm knowledge base that we can break free to create whatever our heart desires. We can exclude the knowledge we have gained, but we cannot add abilities we do not yet possess.
Martina Pook Photo 2019 Picture

Martina Pook

Pook, as in book. 

My beloved grandfather, the artist Ernst Weitkuhn, was the inspiration for my passion for the arts. After having received classical arts training for three years at the Peter Schneider Atelier in Germany, I became a commercial illustrator and practised this profession for over 15 years until I began teaching.

Selfportrait Ernst Weitkuhn
Self-portrait of my grandfather the artist Ernst Weitkuhn
In 1991, I immigrated to Australia and kept working as an artist and illustrator. Because my English was insufficient, I needed to improve swiftly. So I enrolled at the QSPGA, Queenland School of Printing and Graphic Arts to pursue a degree in Graphic Design with major in illustration. I resumed my career as a commercial illustrator not long after. My clienteles included major companies such as BP, BHP, the Queensland Government, Channel Ten (court room artist) among other clients. I began teaching and worked as a senior art instructor at the Gold Coast Art School in Southport for five years, which was noted for its strong teaching standards at the time.

Co-Founding and co-directing Illustration House Pty Ltd, a visual literacy centre with a gallery and art school that teaches art and visual literacy to children, adults, and teachers, has been one of my favourite projects throughout the years. I left the business because of the severe terminal condition of my late husband and cared for him until his passing in 2005.

Over the years, I passionately held numerous jobs within the arts industry, including giving presentations and lecturing at art business seminars and discussion rounds for budding artists. I started out by teaching after school art classes at the Robina State School, Tallebudgera State School and the St. Andrews College to then offering training for adults.

In 1999, I had ceased working as an illustrator to teach art full-time, which became my main focus. I also judge art shows and provide seminars about artwork evaluations, business skills and planning within the art sector.

In 2003, I was nominated as Member of the selection panel for the Biennale Internazionale Dell'Arte Contemporanea organised by the World Bank, UNESCO, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Florence, Italy for the selection of Australian Artists.


In 2009, the Gold Coast City Council I joined the Regional Arts Development Fund Committee, and served on the for two years, making suggestions to Arts Queensland regarding the funding of emerging artists and art organisations.​ 
Picture Icon Leaf Element
On a personal level, I have found utter joy and peace in my marriage to Deane.  He is one of my greatest blessings.  

However, the greatest and most surprising turn of event happened in 2010,  bringing unspeakable joy and fulfilment. Although I was originally a fervent atheist,  then  new ager, I experienced a life-changing conversion that led me to develop a deep belief in Christ. These days, I'm more interested in serving, be it through ministries or doing volunteer work. 

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MARTINA POOK ©  2016-2022                     |                     68 Armstrong Way, Highland Park, QLD 4211                    |                   Trading as Martina Pook                  |               ABN 54905 254 156
  • Home
    • Art School Surveys
    • Mailing List
    • Art News Blog
  • Art Tips
    • 1 Year Drawing & Painting >
      • Daily Watercolour Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
      • Daily Drawing Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
    • Art Business Tips >
      • Before Starting A Business
      • Earn from Your Drawings
      • Pricing Your Artwork
      • Art Business Planning
      • Arts Marketing
      • Artist Media Release
      • Artist Proposal Writing
      • Creative Website Writing
      • Copyright (eousness)
      • Organise Your Art Business
      • Networking for Artists
      • 5 Tips for Instagram Success
      • The Power of Pinterest
      • Art Is A Business
    • Free Art Business Books
    • Free Art Instruction Books
    • Free Stockphoto Collection >
      • Art Students Photo Collection >
        • Peculiar Photo Collection
        • Landscape Photo Collection
    • Artists Reference Photos >
      • Artist Reference Bundles
    • Best Art Websites
    • Book Recommendations
    • Gift Ideas for Artists
    • Art Magazines
    • Art Organisations
    • Art Accountants
    • Art Competitions
    • Art Infographics
    • Artists Info Sheets
    • Artists Signatures
    • Web Tools For Artists
  • Martina's Articles
    • Painting Tips
    • 15 Must Have Skills for Art Students
    • Art Competition Benefits
    • Benefits of Art Classes
    • Coloured Pencils Article >
      • Coloured Pencil Studies
    • Colour Mixing Article
    • Did You Know?
    • Learn to draw in 15 minutes a day
    • The Art of Learning Art
    • Why We Need Creativity
  • Art Workshops | Classes
    • Art Materials Lists >
      • Art Material Glossary
    • Art Student Portal >
      • Arts Ministry Liberti
      • Drawing Introduction >
        • Line Contour Variation
        • Measuring Proportions
        • Atmospheric Perspective
        • Shading Laws
        • Composition
      • Painting Introduction
      • Portrait Drawing Introduction >
        • The Eye
        • The Nose
        • The Mouth
        • The Ear
        • The Head
      • Coloured Pencil Introduction
      • Colour Mixing Introduction
    • Gallery >
      • Kids Art Gallery
      • Teen Students Gallery
      • Adult Art Students Gallery
      • Student Scholarship >
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2017 Scholarship Winner
        • 2015 Scholarship Winner
      • Artist in Residence >
        • 2017 Artist in Residence
      • Opportunities for Students
    • Gold Coast Art Teachers
    • Refund Policies
  • About
  • Contact