Artist Statment

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with curly hair, wearing a sleeveless vest and a watch, posing with her hands on the back of her hips against a neutral background.

I create figurative paintings that combine portraiture, everyday objects and botanical forms to explore the emotional traces left by grief, identity and the experiences that shape us.

I return to these subjects because I'm interested in what remains after life-changing events - how memories become attached to ordinary objects, how our bodies carry experiences long after the world has moved on, and how healing happens alongside everyday life rather than apart from it.

My work begins with real experiences and uses carefully observed objects, plants and symbols as a personal mythology, grounding emotional experiences in the physical world and reflecting the quiet persistence of nature as a witness to human life.

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

A young girl with curly blond hair smiling, sitting beside a chalkboard with white chalk drawings of the human figure.

I am a figurative 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 always been drawn to portraiture and the quiet complexity of people. My work combines figures, everyday objects and botanical forms to explore memory, identity and the emotional traces left by lived experience.

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.

My paintings are grounded in lived experience and draw on personal artefacts, domestic spaces and native flora as a visual language for grief, healing and becoming. Rather than treating nature as a backdrop, I see it as both witness and metaphor - a reminder that while our lives are shaped by loss, love and change, the world continues to grow around us.

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

Illustration of a bird running on grass with hills in the background, and text arching above that reads 'Paraiti Catchment Care Group" "Flight of the Kōkako"

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

Black and white photo of a man and a woman standing together outdoors, smiling, with mountains in the background.

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

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