I am a self-taught artist, working mainly in acrylics.

I was born in the UK and moved to New Zealand via Africa (4 years) in my teens. I had badly wanted to do art, but my family insisted on a ‘proper job’.

So I ended up a lawyer in government, hiking the high country of Central NZ at weekends and holidays to keep sane – creating, exhibiting and selling art in my spare time.Though good at my job, subconsciously I was always trying to escape.

My father died prematurely. Rather than sell our property, I moved home to the country and stepped into his shoes on a 10 acre block - it was definitely character-building.. Later, my mom got Alzheimers and for 10 years I cared for her sole charge, building a graphic design business on the net to keep‘in touch’.

Works are in private collections worldwide, including NZ, Australia, several states in the US, Canada, and France. My Portfolio of Prints of Game Animals published by NZDA as a limited edition of 500 sets, sold out. In 1999 I won the Telecom Art Award for Northland NZ, my art featuring on the Northland Phone Book for the year 2000.

My focus is the outdoors – landscape and wildlife, as a means of drawing attention to the major conservation issues we face. Power, simplicity and mystery are the things that move me. I have just accepted a commission to illustrate a book to be published mid-2011 that tells the life story of a 2000 year old, much-venerated New Zealand burial tree. For the next few months I shall be working hard.

Peace
Patricia … Read More