It has paid off for the American/Kiwi/Australian artist, as he is internationally recognised and has recently opened up an art gallery in Northlake Wānaka called Tischler & Co Fine Art Gallery.
Born in Texas, he moved to Wellington when he was 6 years old, then moved to Australia four years later.
He went on to complete a fine arts degree and has built up his name as an artist over the past 20 years.
"In that time, I’ve sold paintings to collectors internationally, worked on massive commissioned projects. I’ve had a few sell out shows and rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous on epic ‘artist in residencies’, but nothing compares to the joy I feel when teaching others and passing on what I’ve gathered."
That passion for teaching has earned him a name as one of art’s YouTubers. Students can tune in to watch him paint and learn the trade. Tischler is also conducting tours in Wānaka for students from all over the world.
Last week he opened the gallery locally, after setting up in Lawrence for the past year.
"The reception so far has been fantastic. New Zealand is becoming such an international place that we get traffic from tourists, international visitors and Kiwis alike.
"The Kiwi audience is open, receptive and loaded with ideas."
Being a landscape artist, he is brushing up on his local Wānaka knowledge, and said there was an abundance of spots around the region.
"I have been coming and going from Wanaka for years, my favourite spot in the world is the Matukituki Valley."
The gallery showcases his large-scale landscape and seascape paintings inspired by the South Island, alongside works created during his painting tours and plein air sessions across the region. Having moved to Wānaka with his family, Tischler wanted to create a dedicated space where locals and visitors alike could connect with art that reflected the beauty of Central Otago.
"I paint for people and I love when people look at the paintings. It is not always about the sale and it is really nice for people to come and look at the art and hopefully leave and feel inspired in some way."
"I am a real big fan of the old masters so what I love is learning how they did what they did and using those techniques in my own paintings and then teaching others to do the same. There is a lot of artistic licence that goes into it."
Having been a professional artist since he was 21 years old, he now has 1million followers across his channels and is excited to have a gallery accessible to the local community.
‘‘Having the gallery is something we are really excited about, sharing this with the community.
"I really feel like teaching is my passion. I love painting pictures and having those on display in the studio, but I love teaching and live for that light bulb moment when they pick it up."
