Get To Know TNN: Hamish Beadle

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at only three years of age, Hamish Beadle doesn’t remember life without the condition. He grew up in an active family with one older brother. Both his father and brother raced bikes, so Beadle was motivated to follow in their footsteps. By age eight, he was already competing. As a junior in New Zealand, he earned rankings on both the national and international track level. Additionally, he and his teammates set the New Zealand national record in the U17 team pursuit and U19 team sprint.

But cycling isn’t the 20-year-old Kiwi’s only passion. He also is a talented artist. Read below to learn more and see several examples of his work.

When did you first get into art? Have you taken classes/studied art?

I have been into art since I was little and living in an environment where art was always a great influencer. My mother is an art teacher at James Hargest College (a local high school), so I was always playing around with paints and filling up drawing books with my crazy ideas. I studied art throughout high school and studied photography and printmaking in my last year.

Can you describe the drawings attached? What story are they trying to tell?

 These three panels were for my Year 13 NCEA Art exams. They took me a full year to complete. The exam was for printmaking, so all of these are some form of print, (drypoint etchings, woodblock prints, media transfer, collographs, etc).

My narrative for the work was based on my diabetes and the impact it has on my life. The numbers are significant as symbols of blood sugar readings. Additionally, internal organs are important to my story, and I made detailed studies of the pancreas and kidneys to show which parts of the body are affected by diabetes.

The colours used represent the global symbol of diabetes (blue circle), red is symbolic of blood, and orange is the colour of the medication.

Artist models that influenced my work were Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and classical Greek statues. I had to demonstrate the development of ideas in my work, so as the board progresses, the work becomes more abstract.

What information/message are you trying to convey?

The message I am hoping to convey within my work is that it is essential and possible to live a healthy lifestyle with diabetes, to facilitate well being, and longevity. I want to show others what this entails.

What other art/medium do you enjoy working with? (you can share examples)

I enjoyed drawing and did photography and painting as core subjects in Year 11, 12 and 13. I work with ceramics, and I have used a cycling theme, which is inspired by the machinery of the bike. I also used Adobe Photoshop a lot for my photography board to create special effects.

Why do you feel art is important in telling your story?

I’ve always used art as a way to express my creativity and areas that I feel strongly about. Art and cycling have always been things I am passionate about, so it was natural that cycling became my subject matter for art studies.

Hamish’s Art: