NZ Made Oil Paint

My name is Trent Wylie, I have a creative project that I would like to crowdfund to reality - making a range of high quality 'artist grade' oil paints. 

My project goal is to raise money to purchase and import a three roll mill. With this machine it is my aim to create a range of premium artist grade oil paint here in New Zealand and to supply my fellow artists at a student grade price.

As a painter I find myself continually frustrated by the high cost of good quality oil paint and know many artists that share the same frustration, my Boosted project is a direct result of this frustration.

Any oil painter reading this knows how expensive good artist grade oil paint can be and how this impacts on creativity. Having made my own paint for some years now I know the costs involved. I know that the manufacturer, the importer the distributor and the retailer all need to take a percentage and this impacts the price immensely, I want to supply directly to the end user. 

I’m looking to raise $12,000.00. This will cover the purchase price and the freight of a suitable machine, they weigh around 2000 kilograms!

My life as an artist started in the field of tattoo and I formed our family owned company called Mystic Art Productions Limited in 1998. Mystic Art supplied many artists here and abroad with New Zealand made tattoo Ink for over two decades. Over the last 8-9 years my artistic focus has shifted to painting, with oil as my preferred medium. 

Many years ago before becoming an artist, I worked for a paint manufacturing company where I attained the position of leading hand colourist. I am familiar with pigment dispersion and formulation and plan to create a top product. I will be applying the skills learned there to this project.

If successful I plan to start a range of colours, quickly as soon as I have a machine in place. I have some pigments on hand and have already made a mixer and a tube sealer, have suppliers and space ready and waiting. If I was to raise funds over and above my goal this would go to purchasing more pigments so as to increase the range faster.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down it is easy to realise just how vulnerable we artists are with our reliance on imported products. Hopefully the supply chains will be up and running soon but it could also take months.

Having a New Zealand made product available on the shelf could be a real advantage if this or something similar were to happen again in the future.