Feb 23: Artist talks in Whāingaroa – Brad Ding
Artist Talks kicks off 2023 with local painter Brad Dring – aka Shortydubs – on Thursday 23 February at 6.30pm.
At Raglan Old School Arts Centre, 5 Stewart St, Raglan. Eva’s Room.
Entry by koha | Licensed bar open and refreshments for sale
After 20 years of making music and performing worldwide with band Rapture Ruckus, Brad changed tack to accommodate his young family and morphed from hip hop music to street inspired
art.
As luck would have it Brad made the move with his family to Whaingaroa in 2019 before the ability to travel easily was put on pause by the pandemic.
“I have two young boys and I really wanted them to hear the ocean like I did and get into surfing and things like that. So hence why we chose Raglan.”
Any artist will tell you it’s hard to dampen the creative urge and Brad took up painting, which he could fit around family life. Describing himself as an urban artist dabbling in street art, pop art and
graphic design, Brad takes well-known imagery like a King of the Pipeline Gerry Lopez photograph and uses digital stencils, spray paint and motifs to reimagine the original.
“A lot of the creative work I was doing, other than the performing and playing instruments, was all very computer based – the music making and the video editing and digital photography. I really
wanted to find a medium of doing artwork and getting dirty with wood and spray paint, and using my hands and getting it out of the computer.”
While it’s not yet bringing Brad the acclaim he found with Rapture Ruckus, he is selling a few pieces online through his Instagram page @shortydubs, and more importantly he is filling his creative bucket.
“I’m really just doing it for me at the moment and putting some stuff up online, and I’ve sold some work over the Internet.”
The born-and-bred Wellingtonian still manages to fit in music on top of family, work and painting.
He also loves working with up-and coming young musos and artists in more of a mentor role, sharing his journey and wealth of creative experiences.