Art has always been an interest of mine, but life’s demands never really allowed me the time to indulge in painting until I retired at the end of 2021.
Although I started with landscapes, it was painting the man-made objects within these scenes that really captivated me, especially vintage aircraft, ships, and trains. So I have now specialised in ‘heritage transport’ art.
As an artist, I see myself primarily as an illustrator. I enjoy the challenge of capturing a fleeting moment of history by creating a work of art that transports the viewer to another time and place.
My work is inspired by the artwork that graced the boxes of the plastic model kitsets I used to buy as a child. I still make models, and so I bring my modelling skills into my paintings, especially with my love of detail and accuracy.
I carefully research my subjects (a task I enjoy as much as the painting process), and then portray them in realistic settings. My finished artworks and prints could almost be considered as two-dimensional museum dioramas.
I use acrylics as my primary medium, but I also use specialised liquid washes for intricate details – a technique I also picked up from my model-making.
In 2025 I was accepted as an ‘exhibiting member’ of the Australian Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), which also covers New Zealand.
Several of my works have been accepted for exhibitions at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington, the Toi Mahara Gallery in Waikanae, the Kapiti Gallery and the Big Mac Creative Centre in Paraparaumu, and the Rinitawa Gallery in Woodville. My first solo exhitition was in the Roderick and Gillian Deane Art Space at the Paraparaumu Library in 2025. I also took part in the 2024 Kapiti Coast Art Trail and the 2025 Paekākāriki Art Show.
I’ve had fine art prints made of many of paintings, which you can buy here.
And if you’re looking for a commissioned painting that captures a historical subject, I’m open to collaborating with you to bring your idea or memory to life.
Roly Hermans
Paraparaumu, New Zealand
ROLY'S ART 