About the Artist
I have been painting since I was young, and have been selling and exhibiting work for 8 years since completing my Bachelor and Master of Design through Unitec. I live in Hamilton, New Zealand, with my husband and three beautiful children aged 4, 3 and 1! I take several commissions a year and work in a wide range of sizes including miniature.
About the Art
My landscape paintings display the splendour of our natural world. Capturing the light and mood of a place is my primary motivation, resulting in skies glowing with a sinking sun or water reflecting overcast skies and blue mountains. The places I paint are rarely destinations in their own right; some are local spots that would not be considered scenic, others are views found during hikes or on the side of the road during a drive. The atmospheric conditions can bring a touch of magic to an otherwise ordinary scene, and it is these moments of seeing a landscape transformed that I portray in a painting.
I was born and raised in New Zealand, a country rich in diverse and breath- taking landscapes. While growing up, holidays were spent camping at the beach, travelling around the country, or going on bush walks. This instilled in me a love of nature and discovering new sights. An enjoyment of all things art and making were also present from a young age, but it was not until studying a Fine Arts degree and subsequent Masters degree that the two interests of landscapes and art merged.
An appreciation of surrealism was another area of interest that grew during my art degree. The concept of involving the subconscious in art making fitted well with my vivid imagination and Christian beliefs. I began incorporating surrealistic elements into some paintings as a way of adding another layer of interpretation to the realistically painted landscape- the metaphorical or spiritual. This manifests itself visually as a lone figure interacting with the landscape in a fantastical way, or an element of the landscape like a cloud breaking off into a flock of cloud-coloured birds. Some viewers may enjoy the beauty of the natural landscape portrayed. Some will look for mysteries within the painting and find them, even though they were not intentionally added. Some will ponder the inclusion of something unusual and wonder what it means and what story it creates within the painting. All are valuable and personal responses that give the painting meaning and purpose.
Accolades
Collections
Selected Exhibitions
I have been painting since I was young, and have been selling and exhibiting work for 8 years since completing my Bachelor and Master of Design through Unitec. I live in Hamilton, New Zealand, with my husband and three beautiful children aged 4, 3 and 1! I take several commissions a year and work in a wide range of sizes including miniature.
About the Art
My landscape paintings display the splendour of our natural world. Capturing the light and mood of a place is my primary motivation, resulting in skies glowing with a sinking sun or water reflecting overcast skies and blue mountains. The places I paint are rarely destinations in their own right; some are local spots that would not be considered scenic, others are views found during hikes or on the side of the road during a drive. The atmospheric conditions can bring a touch of magic to an otherwise ordinary scene, and it is these moments of seeing a landscape transformed that I portray in a painting.
I was born and raised in New Zealand, a country rich in diverse and breath- taking landscapes. While growing up, holidays were spent camping at the beach, travelling around the country, or going on bush walks. This instilled in me a love of nature and discovering new sights. An enjoyment of all things art and making were also present from a young age, but it was not until studying a Fine Arts degree and subsequent Masters degree that the two interests of landscapes and art merged.
An appreciation of surrealism was another area of interest that grew during my art degree. The concept of involving the subconscious in art making fitted well with my vivid imagination and Christian beliefs. I began incorporating surrealistic elements into some paintings as a way of adding another layer of interpretation to the realistically painted landscape- the metaphorical or spiritual. This manifests itself visually as a lone figure interacting with the landscape in a fantastical way, or an element of the landscape like a cloud breaking off into a flock of cloud-coloured birds. Some viewers may enjoy the beauty of the natural landscape portrayed. Some will look for mysteries within the painting and find them, even though they were not intentionally added. Some will ponder the inclusion of something unusual and wonder what it means and what story it creates within the painting. All are valuable and personal responses that give the painting meaning and purpose.
Accolades
- Commission Artist for the Kelliher Art Trust Collection, 2020
- The Trusts Art & Sculpture Award: People's Choice Award, 2016, and Landscape Merit, 2015
- New Zealand Painting & Printmaking Award: People's Choice Award, 2015
- Cliftons Art Prize: International Winner, 2010
Collections
- Kelliher Art Trust Collection
- Wallace Arts Trust Collection
Selected Exhibitions
- Kelliher Art Trust Open Day, Kelliher Trust Gallery, Auckland. October 2020
- Opening Show, The Wharf Gallery, Raglan. October 2020
- Small Show V, The Vivian, Matakana. November 2017
- Wish You Were Here, Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland, January 2017
- Kings College Art Sale, Kings College, Auckland. November 2016, 2017 and 2018
- Painting Programme (PROG), TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre, Auckland, July 2016
- New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award, Hamilton Gardens Pavilion, Hamilton. February 2016
- Light in the Park, Cornwall Park Information Centre, Auckland. November 2015
- Ablaze, Lake House Arts Centre, Auckland. August 2015
- Summer Catalogue, Warwick Henderson Gallery, Auckland. December- January 2015
- The Trusts Art & Sculpture Awards, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland. October 2014
- Mandorla Art Awards, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, Australia. July 2014
- Glaister Ennor Graduate Art Awards, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland. July 2014
- 21st Annual Wallace Art Awards, Pah Homestead, Auckland. August 2012
- Eden Art Schools Award Finalists, Projectspace/ Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland. July 2011
- Cliftons Art Prize 2011- Auckland Finalists, Cliftons Queen St, Auckland. June 2011