Some of our Artists for 2024

Jane Riley aspires to inspire before she expires! Drawing inspiration from the ’seen and the unseen’ her artworks depict the beauty sees and feels. Interpreted with tremendous energy, passion and flair onto canvas as food for the soul. 

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Jane’s artworks reflect her love of the natural environment. Her roots in Fox Glacier, beneath the spectacular Southern Alps, have deeply influenced her work with their towering peaks and blanketed rainforest foothills, leaving an enduring mark upon her art.

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 Changing lights of day are a constant source of inspiration, as are the occasional auroras and cosmic magic that appear in crystal-clear starlit nights. Textures of sand, gemstones, shells and other natural materials are often incorporated.

Jane Riley is published as one of New Zealand’s Favourite Artists and her artworks are displayed in various national and international private collections. Extensive overseas travel has amplified the artist’s appreciation of the peace and beauty in    New Zealand where she feel fortunate to live “The life of Riley”. 

Born June 1944, on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand.  Barry is a self-taught Landscape Artist having first been introduced to oils at the age of 35.  He now has paintings hanging in many homes throughout the world and was once commissioned to paint a gift for the late Duke of Edinburgh on his visit to Westland.
Barry’s love of the West Coast is portrayed in his paintings, as he sees only peaceful tranquillity in this beautiful, rugged countryside.
View his original oil paintings at Colours of the Coast Art Gallery 106 Revell St, Hokitika.

Elaine Bruce and her Glassy Ladies were at the first Art in  the Park in 2005 and they were a sell out with their very first sale going home to Brisbane!.

It all started when a group of friends got together to give it a go, and they got better at it and started getting commissions.  The friendships remain and now Elaine Bruce, Megan Bourke and Michelle Calendar meet weekly to continue their passion while also” solving the world’s problems” out the back of Elaine’s home. 

Their work is intricate, clever, colourful and beautiful.  Mike Bruce will also have some his quirky stained glass work in the exhibit as well. 

Ivory was born in the Philippines and moved to New Zealand at 15 years old where she found the passion of painting at her high school in Morrinsville. She is a self-taught acrylic artist who specialises in bodies of water, sunsets, native birds and pet portraits. She paints on canvas, wooden panels, plant pots, walls and even faces as a face painter. She loves to create especially to recreate the beauty she sees in the region she fell in love with - the West Coast where she found a home to settle in with her husband and three children. Most of her work are sold privately through commissions and now also proudly displays her work alongside the talented local artists in the gallery of Colours of the Coast.

Hello my name is Yasmin Waters I am a 22 year old professional artist from the West Coast.
My main medium is acrylic paint on canvas, stones and bottles. I paint native birds, other animals, portraits and some landscapes.

Marilyn has been drawing and painting since the age of 12.

Originally trained as a teacher, she discovered very young in life that her greatest passion lies in art.
Marilyn believes that drawing is the basis of all good work. She paints, draws and has produced a large amount of work

in mixed mediums including her passion handwoven tapestries, and photography.

Marilyn's tapestries adorn many public spaces and private homes both in New Zealand and overseas. Her lively tapestry portraits have won the hearts, as well as tears of many. She has many tapestries in public and private collections.

Her latest public tapestry commission was the double-sided Kowhai Screen at Government House in Wellington.

"My creative practice involves research, processing and un-processing. My interest is to do with who we are, how we intertwine and weave our way through the complexity of relationships with ourselves, each other, objects and the world around us. Reality and unreality collide or sometimes land more softly and melt in these interactions.

The joy I feel when painting is immense. I work mainly in oil, though once again I like to delve into the mixing of possibilities, in this case adding and exploring other mediums when put into close proximity."

There is a strong sense of design in Jenny Longstaff’s pictorial compositions, reflecting her professional background as a graphic designer. Jenny paints in acrylics, with coloured pencil
detailing. Her work features bold colours, patterns and outlines, which reference her love of stained glass windows and mosaics.
Subject matter ranges from rural themes to nature and still life arrangements.
Australian-born, Jenny Longstaff has lived in Dunedin for the past 40 years and is a past president and life member of the Otago Art Society.

Local Greymouth artist Jeremy has been a regular at Art in the Part and exhibited art from a number of genres.   These days he produces stunning landscapes.  

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Chris has exhibited at Art in the Park since its inception. His speciality is highly detailed pen and ink paintings of people, animals, houses, and vehicles of all kinds.  Chris has a wide range of art interests include cartooning, calligraphy, logo design, photography, bone carving and driftwood sculpture. Over the years, his illustrations have been published in a variety of books, including children's’ stories and homestay guides.

All the prints for sale here are on German stock paper, printed by Microfilm Digital Print Christchurch. Larger or smaller prints are available on paper or on stretched canvas.

This is my second year at Art in the Park.

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I discovered I had a talent for drawing as a child.  By my early teens I was producing simple watercolours paintings.  An interest in patterns found its way into my ink and coloured pencil artworks.  These are popular in poster for or as cards.

Although I continue to produce ink and pencil works, I also enjoy working with acrylic paint on canvas and watercolour.  I attend Art4Me and various workshops.  Art is a continuing journey for me, striving to improve, enjoying the company of other artists through groups such as the Greymouth Art group.

I have had a long involvement with the Left Bank Art Gallery as both a volunteer and member of the Committee.  I get great inspiration from the work of others.

I live near Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island. I am constantly inspired to paint
what I see around me. The variety of choice is amazing. There is something about watercolour’s ability to convey a sense of light and vibrancy that compels me to try and capture the essence of my subject.

Having cut and carved gemstones of all kinds since 11 years of age and trained in carving under Ian Boustridge among others, Amhairghen Faithliaig (Avirin) now runs Woven Stone Jade in Greymouth: a small jade and hard stone carving company specialising in high-quality, one-off jewellery and sculptural pieces. "Quality work, or not at all" is his company's motto; and he takes that motto seriously. He stocks works in local pounamu (nephrite and bowenite) and some foreign nephrite jades, aotea, local rhodonite, aroha stone, Guatemalan blue jadeite and occasionally even whalebone.

Gary spent 45 years working as an architect in Greymouth honing basic drawing skills taught at Grey High School and Auckland university.

Retirement 12 years ago gave the time to develop those skills, and learn the basics of water colour. A week long course with John Lovett in Queensland gave him the confidence to experiment with the watercolour medium, introducing ink, charcoals, gouache and gesso. Encouragement and critiques from his wife Rae has helped along the way.

The challenge was to record structures in a more loose and colourful way, and produce pen and watercolours of buildings and landscapes as an alternative to photographs.

While travelling Gary realised he had the skill to draw structures and landscapes quickly and loosely, using a 40 year old watercolour travel set and quality Moleskin art diaries. Gary noticed that art exhibitions were devoid of paintings of historic and heritage structures, many of which are disappearing from our landscapes and towns. This has been a focus to date.
He has enjoyed ‘playing’ with watercolour, experimenting with different techniques and finishes to create mood and an emotive response.

On her facebook page, Rae describes her art as "acrylic painting in response to our beautiful world."

I love paint. I love colour. I love our natural world. These things inspire me to make art. The natural beauty of the landscape speaks to me, and I need to record it in a simple way that strikes a cord. Using acrylics, and occasionally oils, allows me to explore stylised interpretations of traditional landscapes and to put my own unique stamp them. My studio looks out over the sea, and living on a bush block I draw inspiration daily from the natural world. It is a wonderful environment for creating artworks. I am continually learning through paint. For me art is a form of meditation where my mind is totally immersed in my work. The magic moment when an artwork is completed gives me a sense of achievement. I like to bring joy to my work. I hope the painting gives the viewer a feeling of optimism from the freshness of colour and forms.

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Art and making, for Jay, is a way to engage and connect with the world. To ask questions and pose answers, problem-solve, and share with others what she found out, in a quizzical, often humorous way.  

Jay works mostly with found, preloved, and recycled materials, which started as a way to afford to make art and then became part of the practice. She works mostly with textiles, but also with other media, such as paint, paper, wood, and digital media.  Jay loves the challenge that not always quite having the “right thing” presents and how that can inform the work she makes. 

For Jay, art making started at a very young age and although she has attended 2 art schools, and studied graphic design, she would tell you that she is largely self-taught as play and experimentation are something that have always been part of the way she lives and works, . 

Jay lives and makes art at her home in the village of Taylorville, just out of Greymouth. 

Recently Jay was asked to describe what she does in three words, and her reply: “make people wonder” 

You can join the wondering at https://www.facebook.com/QuirkNZ

Ella Francesca is a multimedia artist (b. Õtepoti, 1994) living in Māwhera, New Zealand. Ella works in paint, pencil, photo, video, installation and sculpture.

Concerned with themes of phenomenal consciousness and the beautiful intricacies of the conscious mind, Francesca’s work is as complex and layered as the subject it explores, both in physicality and meaning.

Their most recent work delves into the essence of existence. Questioning how we show up in the world energetically and whether we are all connected on a deeper level, Francesca is peeling back the layers of illusion, searching for the gold inside. 

Ella completed a Bachelor of Applied Arts at NorthTec in 2015, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Visual Art at Otago Polytechnic Dunedin School of Art. Ella completed a Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary Education) at University of Otago in 2022.

My entry  into painting started about twenty years ago.

My first foray was in water colours with a fabulous tutor, Ria Van Royan.

From there I moved to oils and did several terms at Passion For Painting in Christchurch. I then was tutored by a wonderful artist, Toni Duffy.

Earthquakes hit Chch. The joy of life changed as well and I just stopped painting.  We moved full time to the Westcoast and life was incredibly busy.

Painting simply was not something I could make time for. Then… Covid happened. Time was something I certainly had … as well as a cupboard full of paints and canvas.

I started experimenting once again and the passion returned but I was very rusty. I then heard of an amazing artist called Barry Wright who was doing some tutorials.

I asked if he would consider working with me and for some amazing reason he said … yes.  Barry has totally transformed the way I think about my art and given me so much encouragement. My passion is right back and I paint wherever I am.

Carla was born in Greymouth NZ and has been an art enthusiast for as long as she can remember.  In her younger years she loved sketching and creating.  Her career as a Beauty Therapist let her put her creative touch on the women of the West Coast, makeup and colour was her passion.
Lockdown gave her time to really get creative, she immersed herself in the art world and was creating something new every day.
Barry Wright introduced her to oil paints and guided her and bought out her flair with colour in landscape paintings.
She  wants the viewer to feel something, whether it is the crashing of the waves or the perfectly tranquil waters, art should be something you can actually feel.
Living on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is an artist’s playground, there’s no other place in the world I’d rather live!

View Carlas original art work at Colours of the Coast Art Gallery 106 Revell St, Hokitika.

In the summer of 1969,  fifty five years ago, after getting miserable grades in my first year at Canterbury University, doing History and English I decided to switch over and go to Art School. All based on a gut feeling that I wanted to be a painter. It was the right decision. That gut feeling is still with me. I am making art in the here and now, living in Westport.

What attracts me to art is that it is an intuitive process that is physical, and at the same time, contemplative. Everytime, I pick up a pencil or a brush it is a new beginning. Making art is an endless journey, in the sense there are no definitive points of arrival. However it does becomes a shared journey. Therein lies the mystery and wonder of art. It becomes conversational. Art has a voice. Sometimes muffled or even foreign needing translation, other times clear as a bell, always there in its’ multitudinous forms.

Using fabric - both hand dyed and painted and assorted commercial fabrics and hand stitching, I explore the local landscapes - it's various forms and colors - and the flowers in my back garden.
Once again accompany me to Art in the Park will be the Tika tribe, with the new kids - pocket Tikas. All are always ready to listen or give a hug.
My work can be seen at my home studio in Hokitika - 170 Gibson Quay or on Facebook or Instagram janetgawnart.

Returning this year to Art in the Park is Glynn Berland.  Glynn’s degree major was in Sculpture.  He was encouraged to think beyond traditional sculpture, to explore new media and methods. His high level computer savvy skill allows him to create intricate sculptured wall art using an electronic pen and his painters ‘brush’. His work is delicate, precise and finicky.  He converts the image to digital code, loads the code into a laptop connected to his CNC router and the result you will have to come and see!  For a preview have a look at www.glynnberland.com 

Eli Berland is our youngest artist this year and will be exhibiting with his Mum and Dad, Sarah Godfrey and Glynn Berland.  He has accompanied them to art shows all over New Zealand so he might as well show off some of his skills too! Eli experiments across a wide range of media and his parents have encouraged him to learn techniques in drawing, painting, printing, dyeing and sculpture.

Sarah Godfrey is an established landscape artist and has a fine arts degree from the Dunedin School of Art.  Painting became her specialization.  “I concentrate on colour, texture and mood in my paintings, and I try to capture the feeling of a place rather than trying to create a realistic scene.  I am drawn by strong contrasts in nature to the dramatic effects of light and shadows that accentuate contours."

Karin Werner        b. Oxford,1963

 I have drawn and painted all my life and am largely self taught.   I use mainly oils, water colours,  pastels and pencil. 

 My subjects are often landscapes, horses and other animals, vehicles,

 particularly motorcycle engines, although I also do more interpretive work,

and acrylic pour/swipes.

I live in Amberley and am a member of Arts Canterbury, the Rangiora, Ashburton, and Otago Art Societies, and exhibit mainly through their exhibitions.

My paintings have been awarded People’s Choice, Merit and Premier Awards

 at art exhibitions and competitions throughout the South Island.

More of my art can be viewed on my website  www.karinwerner.co.nz 

and on my face book page  @ SOUTHISLANDARTIST

Hello, I’m Trish a dairy farmer from the West Coast with a love of gardening and art.

I have dabbled in many art forms over the years from painting acrylics, watercolours and oil, Sewing clothing and quilts, Sculptures stone, clay and Paverpol.

While I still enjoy all of these, I really found my niche with Paverpol.

I first came across Paverpol when I ordered a kit from a magazine 15 years ago, from there I did a class with the NZ trainer & importer in nelson, then in 2009 I trained to become a certified Paverpol instructor, I have been teaching workshops ever since.

Paverpol is a fabric hardener that allows the artist to create sculptures suitable for outdoors using recycled natural materials such as old t-shits, muslin, towels, curtains etc.

You will always find projects on the go in my small studio workshop. And thanks to my Husband & daughters I now have a small Gallery that is open by appointment.

Beth Nolan is a Hokitika-based fine artist working under her brand Flick & Co. Creative Studio.

Beth paints with watercolour on paper & acrylic on canvas to create vibrant and dynamic depictions of New Zealand birds that celebrate the beauty and wonder of Aotearoa.

She grew up on a farm in South Westland, a childhood surrounded by the stunning beauty of the southern alps, rugged beaches and lush rainforests.  Spending much of her adult life travelling overseas, on coming home, she felt exploring the beautiful wildlife and landscape of New Zealand would help her reconnect with home, it has been her obsession ever since.

Beth’s work is a dance between spontaneity and restraint. Layer, upon layer of flamboyant colour and fluid shapes add a jewel-like quality her work, depicting her subject's energy and their depths of movement.

Beth exhibits her original work in galleries throughout the South Island, takes commissions & sells a selection of fine art prints. She is looking forward to meeting you all next weekend!

Facebook: @flickcostudio   Instagram: @flickcostudio