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Always a tinkerer, I finally found my flow when I found a perfectly formed Monarch chrysalis in my yard. It looked like a jewel, glistening in the sun. I decided to recreate one for myself and received so many compliments that I listed one online - and so it began.
I have been selling internationally for about four years, most of my pieces go to the USA but have gone as far as Japan and The Netherlands. My range is always increasing as I am inspired by nature daily. I mostly work with clay, but also wood, bone and antler. As each piece is sculpted and painted by hand, they are all little works of art!
While I have no formal training, I love attending creative workshops that interest me. I love to paint with watercolour and have recently been working with ink also.
I am lucky to live in Taranaki in beautiful Nu Tireni/New Zealand - one of the few places in the world where you can go from the shore to the mountain in a day.
I have three children, the youngest two are being home-schooled this year. This has enabled me to see everyday life through new eyes. We have large vegetable gardens and when I'm not in my studio, you'll likely find me barefoot with my hands in the soil. We also have a small menagerie of rescue animals.
I am passionate about healthy eating (with a reasonable dose of chocolate!) and alternative health therapies, you can find out more about this here
With Māori blood running through our veins, our whānau whakapapa back to the Te Ātiawa tribe who orginate from Taranaki, so it's no surprise that I felt a strong connection to the whenua the first time I visited as an adult. Our home looks out at the magestic Taranaki Maunga and his protective presence is felt each day.
Part of our home-schooling journey is learning Te Reo, a beautiful, musical language. Our rescue dog, Leroy, knows his commands in both Te Reo and English, although he is more likely to respond to the reo!
E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea.
I will never be lost, for I am a seed sown in the heavens.
