About
I picked up my first paintbrush at 36, a late start for someone who spent their school years focused on more "academic" pursuits. Back then, I was nudged away from art towards subjects that promised a stable career.
Growing up on a dairy farm along Taranaki's coast, however, creativity was inescapable. My dad, a dairy farmer, would come home from milking everyday and sit and play the Hammond Electric Organ for hours at a time composing on the spot. My mum, a nurse and violinist, would design and make countless costumes for dancing competitions that my sister and I were totally immersed in. Our parents cultivated creativity in all four of their kids, and I'm forever grateful for that.
Dance was my first creative love—a language I understood instinctively, and music was its emotional counterpart. When not dancing, I roamed the farm, built huts, explored rivers, tramped through the bush and galloped my horse, Abba, along the black sands of our beaches. These experiences now breathe life into my art.
As an adult, I found myself drawn to the film industry, forging a career as a Casting Director and Movement Coach. Despite a lingering fear of facing a blank canvas, my fascination with art only grew stronger. Viewing artworks in Auckland's galleries became a kind of emotional pilgrimage for me. It was during an introductory drawing and art class with Matthew Browne that I finally found the confidence to explore painting as fluently as I did dancing.
My creative process today flows between landscapes and abstracts, guided more by spontaneity than overthinking. I let instinct and intuition shape my work, discovering images as I paint. My landscapes echo memories etched over time, while abstracts reflect the emotional undercurrents of my subconscious. Balancing these two styles keeps my creativity alive and evolving, with each informing and enriching the other when viewed side by side.
Above all, my art is an invitation—to connect, to explore, and to celebrate. It's a testament to my journey of embracing environment, intuition, and diverse expressions, translating dreams into tangible beauty.
Reviews
2024 Aedra Fine Arts, writen by Michael Hanna, Curator & Editor, Aedra Fine Arts, click here to view
Art Exhibitions
2024: Light Pulse Exhibition, Aedra Fine Arts, awarded best in show, online
2024: Art in the Park at Eden Park, Auckland
2024: Bold and Beautiful Show at Flagstaff Gallery, Devonport, Auckland
2024: Out of the Blue, at Hi Tide pop up gallery, Ōākura, Taranaki
2024: Saatchi Art New This Week 08-05-2024 Selection, online
2024: Artmajeur Weekly Selection, 30th January, online
2023: Thirty x Thirty Show at Flagstaff Gallery, Devonport, Auckland
2023: Art in the Park at Eden Park, Auckland
2022: Art in the Park at Eden Park, Auckland
2022: Walk With Me, Solo show at Koru on Devon New Plymouth
2021: Art in the Park, Inaugural show at Eden Park Auckland
2021: NZ Art Show Wellington
2021: A Little Rough Around The Edges, Solo Show at Koru on Devon New Plymouth
2019: NZ Art Show online
2020: Full Spectrum, Solo Show at Koru on Devon, New Plymouth
2019: NZ Art Show, Wellington
2019: Moving On, Joint show with Ché Rogers at Koru On Devon, New Plymouth
2018: Move, Joint show with Ché Rogers and Designer Turet Knuferemann at Knuefermann Flag Store, Auckland
2017: De Retour à Paris, Exhibition in Paris for the Real Tart Artist Collective at Gallery 59 Rivoli, Paris
2014: Taranaki à Paris, Exhibition in Paris for the Real Tart Artist Collective at Gallery 59 Rivoli, Paris
2009: Spring Breeze Exhibition with Fiona McLeod Design, Grey Lynn Auckland
2008: Work in Progress, TK Design Store (solo show) Auckland
2007: New Zealand Art Gallery, The Living Channel
2006: Conversations, Aotea Centre Auckland (collaboration of 5 Artists' works)
2006: Worlds Collide, World Delux Store Auckland (combined show with Artist Kate Millington)
Education:
2005: Painting and Drawing with Matthew Browne, Art Station, Ponsonby, Auckland