Your occupation, job title, artistic discipline (or very brief description of what you do)

I’m an artist and textile designer. I create art prints and original artwork, plus I paint murals and also do some graphic design and illustration work for good measure! There’s a whole bunch more; check out my website for more details!

What cities/towns have you lived in (or spent more than a few months in) beginning with the place of your birth? 

Morrinsville, Auckland, Amsterdam (where my husband and I spent a year, allowing me to connect to my Dutch heritage and family) and now Tauranga!

What’s your favourite Bay of Plenty landscape, park, building, location, suburb, or side street? Why? 

I love Matapihi. It’s incredibly underrated and like a secret oasis in the middle of a bustling city!

What’s an average day in your life at present? 

I have a very energetic toddler, so when I am not hanging out with her I am working on creating beautiful art for clients. Most recently I have been working with surface patterns and creating artwork in a repeat format so it can be printed on products, mostly cushions, homeware and fashion apparel at the moment!

What music was present and still memorable from your youth/adolescence?

There was lots of classic rock and a bit of grunge. Mostly what my older brothers listened to! A lot of Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains…

For you as a creative person, who are three influential artists or thinkers?  

Matisse, Kelly Thompson, Shantell Martin.

Kelly Thompson has really encouraged me through the way she interacts on social media. She shows her personality and embraces her quirks. She’s also genuine and shows a lot of her creative process and behind the scenes. It’s helped me to be more open to share and help others.

Shantell Martin has such a tight body of work; she uses the same strong aesthetic recipe and reproduces it over and over. I really admire how she has created such a strong brand for herself.

If you went away from the Bay of Plenty for a long time and then came back, what are the first three things you would do or visit?   

Climb the mount, swim at the beach (as long as it was summer!) and visit my family.

Looking back at your childhood self: what one sentence describes that person? 

Constantly poaching my Mum’s sticky tape, scissors and raiding her fabric stash!

If you had to eat the same meal every day, what would it be?

My husband is a trained chef, so it would have to be his smashed burgers, they are out of control.

What are you planning for 2021 that nobody knows about yet?

I am incredibly excited about launching my first collection of original work, available through Endemic World. I’m already working on my next collection in a smaller size, about 50cm x 50cm, and available mid 2021.

In one sentence, can you define art? 

Let’s go with one word. Personal.

What was your first real job, second, third? 

Pumping petrol at Caltex, cutting fabric at a fabric store, pattern maker at Pumpkin Patch.

Where would you like to live, but have yet to? 

Mexico! We spent 6 weeks there and it was a culinary delight!

What word of advice would you offer an aspiring creative person?

Keep creating, just build a body of work and watch your style evolve and the opportunities arise.

What’s the biggest problem about life in New Zealand? How you would solve it? 

I feel like inequality is a big issue. This encompasses so much: racism, sexism, discrimination, tall poppy, bullying and so much more. Empathy is such an important skill and strength to have as well as emotional intelligence should be cultivated within our culture and schools.

What is your dream of happiness? 

I’m a simple kind of girl. Family, art and peace. I should have been alive in the 70s!

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