A New Zealand artist exploring the natural & imagined world through painting, craft & illustration.

I am a New Zealand artist living in Dunedin.

In my work I am exploring the relationship between humans and animals as it appears today and in history.

My first series of paintings focuses on four specific practices of cruelty against animals. I presented these disservices in a graphic, often confronting manner through imagery of maps, circles of spears, birds, whales, words and skeletons, amoung others.
My 2012 series of paintings explores creation and end of world myths. I have looked at four different mythologies/theories across culture, religion and science and the relationship between animals and humans in these stories. The representation of animals in mythology can illustrate the reverence given to them within a society or confirm their inferior standing.

My work draws upon my design background, I studied Design and Anthropology at Otago University, and my fascination for animals, their behaviour and biological characteristics. While also wanting to address darker issues, for example the use of animals as commodities and the unnecessary pain and suffering we inflict on them for our personal gain.

I paint with a 000 size brush to create fine detail, using sepia or black calligraphy ink on 300 gm hot press paper. There is a lot of information hidden in the paintings, an obsessive need of mine to include every detail from my research that interest’s me, down to mapping co-ordinates. Each painting has involved weeks of research, studies and mock-ups before I start the final piece.
It has taken me approximately 60 to 100+ hours to complete each painting.

I am currently delving into the correlation between the physiology of the human brain and our state of mind by creating complex images that combine microscopic imagery of the brain with elements from the natural world to create surrealistic landscapes. I have moved into the use of 0.05 black ink pens on watercolour paper. The repetition of my mark in the form of stippling creates subtle variations with pressure that add to the eerie nature of my work.