Some of our Artists for 2023

Kia ora koutou.

I am Tricia, a wildlife artist protecting our critters one drawing at a time.

Living and working on Hinewai Reserve, Banks Peninsula offers the perfect natural environment to create within. Surrounded by nature, I aim to make art that shares my passion for the natural world.

Most of my work is in detailed graphite. It offers the potential to show the critters in all their glory.

I am wild about wildlife, so aim to help others learn about and enjoy the critters we share this earth with.

Autumn is a great time to watch the fabulous fantails flit about our gardens as they appear to 'play' after the efforts of breeding and feeding, and before the chill of the coming winter. 

Tricia is working on some new Fantail artworks to bring to Art in the Park at the Greymouth High School on April 22 & 23. 

You can see more of my art on my website: www.triciahewlettart.nz and follow me on Social Media @triciahewlettart I look forward to seeing you at Art in the Park

An abstract landscape artist tucked away deep in the Marlborough Sounds. My work is what I like to term evolving abstract, I never quite know what I'm doing until I'm done :) When is it done, you're thinking? Never, I just have to stop at some point and hang them to dry. All of my work is in oil on a cradled board, a medium I'm in love with, it is so fluid and generous. Stop by and have a yarn when you're passing by.

Hi, I’m a landscape artist from Christchurch.

I’ve been inspired by other people’s art all my life and find it an indescribable pleasure to be actually creating and selling it myself!

I grew up on a small farm in Levin then after studying in Dunedin moved to Invercargill where I met my husband, Gordon, who is from the beautiful Catlins. 

Mainly I work from photos and sketches from tramping and travelling in NZ.   I use oil or acrylic and experiment with different surfaces and techniques. I’m not sure how to describe my evolving style – perhaps ‘expressive realism’. I try to evoke a feeling of calm and peacefulness so the viewer feels uplifted.

Someone once encouraged me and gave me the impetus to get started. Now I encourage you to have a go at art regardless of your age.  Unleash the latent artist within you! The desire to be creative is part of all of us.

My art can be viewed on my website : louisethwaites.smugmug.com

facebook/Instagram: @Louise Thwaites Art

I started painting for the first time a few years ago, having never done it before Art and painting for me has been like discovering magic. I cannot imagine a day without painting. I now see the world and everything in it in a new way. I see beauty shadows light and colour I hadn't noticed before. 

My wish is that my art can bring to others not only pleasure but helps them to also see how amazing our earth and nature is.

My name is Slade Tiller. I am a local West Coast artist.  

I love to create meaningful art, mainly painting beautiful scenery from local areas or from my imagination, or a combination of both!  

The beautiful surroundings of where I live inspire me to paint bold, vibrant paintings or moody and atmospheric settings, using inspiration from local landmarks, granite mountains, majestic trees, coastlines, and dense bushes.

 Mixed Media Artist         

For a number of years my focus has been printmaking using a gelplate and I have acquired a stash of prints that need to be repurposed.  To this end I experimented with collaging them into landscapes and feel the transition has been a success! I will also be exhibiting my popular fabric collaged works or quirky caravans, houses and snapshots of NZ flora and fauna in a stylised form.  Having lived on the Coast for a number of years, I moved to Nelson in 2012 but I always enjoy returning and taking part in this fantastic event.

Carver Marlene Trounson has turned her dream of working with greenstone into an actuality – and a passion.  She had, for many years, worked with natural gemstones and pearls to create distinctive fashion jewelry. Ten years ago she enrolled for the Diploma in Jade and Hardstone Carving at Tai Poutini Polytech. “I started full of excitement, but within days was asking myself what on earth I’d got myself into,” she chuckles. “I hadn’t touched carving tools before, and it was definitely more complex and challenging than I had anticipated.”

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But she persevered, graduated, and now creates a wide range of beautiful carvings - traditional pendants and earrings as well intricate sculptured works including flowers and delicate leaves. While 90% of her work is with greenstone, she also works with other gemstones and agates sourced from overseas.

Marlene has been exhibiting at Art in the Park since 2009.

My speciality is highly-detailed pen and ink paintings of people, animals, houses and vehicles of all kinds. For the past few years, I have been working on a series of West Coast trees, from Rata to Matai, growing around the Coast as far as Haast. My illustrations have been published in a variety of books, including children's’ stories and homestay guides. I have exhibited at Art in the Park since its inception. My other art interests include cartooning, calligraphy, logo design, photography, bone carving and driftwood sculpture. This year, using my calligraphy skills, I have produced a “West Coast Birth Certificate” for sale. 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.

My journey started as a youngster growing up on a New Zealand farm; being lifted into the wool press to keep me out of trouble when I followed to the wool-shed at shearing time. I come from a family of artists, and leaving school, went on  to study craft design. However it wasn't until 30 years later I took up felt making. I have dedicated myself to explore and express myself through the medium of wool.

I am passionate about my country and believe I live in one of the most inspiring corners of the world. Not only is New Zealand beautiful, it produces high quality wool, which I source locally, direct from small farms and family run businesses. By preparing fleeces myself, and hand dying for individual pieces, I craft truly one off works of art.

In the handful of years I have been making felt I have studied under some top international tutors i.e. Fiona Duthie.  I have exhibited locally and internationally and sell online:  lomahfelt.wixsite.com/home and  www.facebook.com/lomahfelt. 

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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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Hello! my name is Bless Groome! I go by She/Her pronouns. I’m a 17yr old artist from Hokitika who wants to start her own business, selling stickers, stationary and handmade items to fandoms/people of all and any kinds! And I already have! I sell merchandise for shows like ‘Project 863’ and Dream SMP, along with lgbtq support stuff, while also selling my own original designs! The grey and white wolfs all over my branding are my mascots ‘Jazz’ (white) and ‘Lofi’ (grey). They represent the different sides of my business. Art wise, I mostly create digital art, via procreate on my iPad.’ 

"My books, of which I am the author and illustrator, for young children combine several loves in my life – a small story with a smile, cats and that  fabric is used as an art form.

All the illustrations in the books have been made in fabric then scanned for the printing process.

Once these print run of books are sold that will be the end of the availability of these books in print form."

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After several years of escorting Sandy Silkywings and her books around the West Coast she has retired and  returned to her  first love - the West Coast colours and environments. She returns to  Art in the Park2023 with new works based on fabric and predominantly hand stitched. 

Alongside these new works there will be her friends the Tikas and fabric vessels.

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I was born in Christchurch and have been interested in crafts working with fabrics for many years. I have won awards for my artwork including “Best in Show”. In 2012 I came up with the idea of creating something completely different by making works of contemporary art from fabric. With endless options of fabrics and colours used, the designs are exciting and very different. I incorporate rolls of fabric to my work to give it another dimension. On completion all works are framed under glass to complete the professionalism.

I enjoy the challenge of working with fabric and making something one of a kind and different from other artworks.

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Jane has painted full time for the last 20 years.

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She works using watercolours from a studio in Tasman Village. 

Jane works in watercolour, painting ample people going about their daily lives. Her paintings have a gentle humour and she says her people are "comfortable".

She's also influenced by the local landscapes and her paintings frequently feature Waimea Inlet, Kina Peninsula and the Nelson mountains and beaches. Her works are perfect mementos for visitors and overseas travellers.

I'm a working mum that creates Heirloom Jointed Teddy Bears and Memory Bears from patterns designed by myself.  

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More coming..........

This is my first time exhibiting at Art in the Park.

I discovered I had a talent for drawing as a child.  By my early teens I was producing simple watercolour paintings.

An interest in patterns found its way into my Ink and coloured pencil artworks.  These works are popular in poster or cards.

Although I continue to produce ink and pencil work, 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.

Maxine Morgan.

Judith March paints exquisite works with pastels. What is her favourite subject? “Just about anything that interests me. I love painting dogs. And cats – I painted many of the big cats while I was in South Africa.” (She has gained international awards for her wildlife portraits, many of which are in private collections around the world.)  “And birds. And landscapes.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to returning to Art in the Park this year. The scenery between my home in Mapua and Greymouth is inspiring. I’ll be coming down in my caravan taking photos on the way and giving myself a spare day before the exhibition to enjoy the Coast sights and friendly people.”

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.

Joanne McDougall

Primarily self-taught, my background is in science, and I’ve been painting now for forty years. What started a hobby ended up a small business as I ran an art school from my home studio and produced two books. I enjoy colour, movement and playing with reflectivity, and more recently have been combining analogue with digital art. 

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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I am a Wellington based ‘hobby artist’ who began creating gifts and small artworks from recycled timbers for friends, and leaving presents for colleagues. It wasn’t long before I began to experiment and create artworks to share and sell.

Still a hobby - full time I work as a Water Resource Scientist, hence my connection to rivers and landscapes. Prior to studying physical geography I spent a few years studying architecture, which I may have to credit for my appreciation of structures and shapes.

Working full time provides me the freedom to explore new ideas and mediums and create work off the cuff. All my works are hand made, and so unique (but time consuming).

Over the past two years I have exhibited at the New Zealand Art Show, the Christchurch Art Show and the Art Expo Nelson. I also exhibit at a gallery in New Plymouth, for which I create Taranaki inspired works.