Artist Statment
I create representational paintings that combine the human figure, everyday objects and botanical forms to explore harm, healing, identity, womanhood and the path of her ‘becoming’.
I return to these subjects because I'm interested in what remains after life-changing events - what feelings are stirred by ordinary objects, how our bodies carry experiences long after the world has moved on, and how healing happens inside everyday life rather than apart from it.
My work begins with lived experience and is increasingly informed by therapy, reflection and the process of making sense of what we consciously and subconsciously carry. I use carefully observed objects, plants and symbols to give physical form to emotional experiences, creating a visual language that is personal but still open enough for others to bring their own experiecnes and interpretations to it.
Nature appears throughout my work as a reminder that growth does not erase damage. It can happen around it, alongside it and because of it. I am interested in that tension between softness and strength, vulnerability and protection, and in the ways we continue to change around the things that cannot be undone.
For my more significant works, I am drawn to oil paint for its richness, depth and ability to give weight to the subject matter. For more immediate works and exploration, I often use charcoal and oil pastel because of their tactile and buildable qualities. Charcoal allows me to work softly and intuitively, adding and removing material as the image develops, while oil pastel brings vibrancy, texture and a more physical sense of mark-making.
I hope my paintings invite viewers to slow down, recognise something of themselves in these stories, and leave feeling that even our most private experiences are shared, survivable and worthy of being seen.
Biography
I am an artist based in rural Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa New Zealand, working across oil paint, charcoal, watercolour and pastel.
Raised between Aotearoa and England, I have been making art since childhood, with portraiture forming and early and enduring part of my practice. After years of allowing art to sit in the background of work and everyday life, I have returned to it with a deliberate commitment to developing a sustained studio practice and cohesive body of work.
My current work has grown out of a period of therapy and reflection and is grounded in lived experience, exploring grief, harm, healing, womanhood, identity and becoming. I draw on personal and widely familiar objects to give physical form to experiences that can be difficult to articulate directly. Nature also appears throughout my work as a way of reflecting experiences of loss, healing and change, and as a reminder that despite the perceived weight of our experiences, the world will always continue to grow and move on around us.
My practice is currently moving towards larger, more resolved bodies of work and a visual language that allows personal material to remain open to interpretation. Rather than using my work to explain an experience to a viewer, I am increasingly interested in using it to investigate one and what can happen when something deeply personal becomes recognisable to someone else.
Although I originally studied science and completed a Bachelor of Science, my path shifted after returning to the Bay of Plenty and becoming involved in conservation. What began as a temporary job outdoors gradually became years spent in native forests, working alongside environmental groups and community projects to protect threatened ecosystems and species, including kōkako. I now work in conservation support roles and am proud to be a trustee of Rotoehu Ecological Trust.
Alongside my studio practice, I collaborate with environmental organisations, charities and community initiatives to create illustration, merchandise and visual storytelling that supports conservation and public engagement.
Commissions & Collaborative Projects
I welcome enquiries for conservation and environmental collaborations, illustration and design projects, and selected fine art commissions.
Collaborative Projects
I work with environmental organisations, community groups, and purpose-led initiatives to communicate conservation and ecological ideas through thoughtful, accessible visual work.
This may include:
Native flora and fauna illustration
Merchandise and fundraising artwork
Sticker and apparel design
Print-ready artwork
Campaign visuals and social media content
Educational and interpretive material
Brand identity and visual storytelling for environmental projects
Fine Art Commissions
Alongside my self-directed practice, I take on a limited number of fine art commissions each year.
These projects are approached thoughtfully and collaboratively, with an emphasis on emotional resonance and atmosphere rather than strict realism alone.
Commissions may include:
Portraiture
Pet portraiture
Memorial works
Reworking or reimagining old photographs
Personal projects developed collaboratively
I also offer carefully considered restorations and reinterpretations of old or damaged photographs - preserving their emotional integrity while translating them into new digital or fine art works.
Because my practice is deeply personal and evolving, I approach commissions selectively to ensure each project genuinely aligns with both the subject and my current body of work.
If you have an idea or project in mind, I’d still love to hear from you.
From the Studio
Follow the practice on Instagram
