Hi I’m Christie Cramer, I am a self-taught artist, and have been painting full time since 2014. Born in Haarlem in the Netherlands, my family immigrated to New Zealand when I was 8 years old. I now live and work full time as an artist in Papamoa.

I love to use bold, vibrant, translucent colours, which set my work apart. I am drawn to botanical subjects through my lifelong love and connection to nature. In my paintings, the subjects, while still recognisable, become abstracted versions of themselves. The imperfections in nature making them more interesting to me.

As I paint, I see the canvas as a place of contemplation, allowing the colours to flow and blend, then looking for the composition to emerge intuitively from this process. I start with some intention of the outcome, but am happy to let the painting lead me along a different path. Just as in my yoga practice, my art is a process which evolves, and is different each time I work on a canvas. It is a constant balance between control and letting go so that the work evolves from the process as much as from my pre conceived ideas.

Since my first solo exhibition ‘Revealing the Positive’ in 2017 I have been a full-time artist.  My work is regularly included in the BOP Garden and Art Festival, and Tauranga Society of Artists Original Art Expo. In 2021 I exhibited my hand made prints as part of the Print Quirks group exhibition at the People’s Gallery. In November my series ‘In the Balance’ was shown as a solo exhibition at the Imprint Gallery. In 2021 I was recipient of the Tauranga Society of Artists Supreme award for my painting ‘Wetlands’ judged by Graham Crow. In 2022 my work ‘Rock Bottom’ was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Miles Art Awards at the Tauranga Art Gallery.

For more information see my website