I hope you had a wonderful summer break and are settling into 2026 feeling rested and inspired. Over the holidays, I was lucky to have a week at Omaha Beach, spend time with loved ones and get out into our beautiful native forests. My younger daughter finally headed back to school last week, which means I’m now enjoying some uninterrupted time in the studio — such a gift after the busy holiday season.
I’ve recently completed a couple of new pieces and wanted to give you a first look.
Hahei Holiday, oil on canvas, 1000 × 600mm
The first painting is Hahei Holidayy, inspired by this quintessential New Zealand beach that feels almost unchanged since childhood - soft white sand, clear water, family baches dotting the shore and those craggy islands sitting quietly on the horizon. I took the reference photos from the Mautohe Cathedral Cove track in 2023, just days before it closed due to the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. I was so saddened to hear it’s currently closed again after January’s storms. The walk to Cathedral Cove has always felt like a Coromandel rite of passage for me, and this painting holds a little of that nostalgia.
All in Good Time, oil on canvas, 750 x 750mm
The second work, All In Good Time, is the third painting in my “suburbscapes” series — nostalgic, slightly idealised landscapes featuring iconic New Zealand homes nestled among native foliage. There’s a gentle holiday feeling to this one too, with the ocean and islands in the distance. It feels familiar, yet not tied to any one specific place — perhaps that’s why it feels like a memory.
If either piece speaks to you, I’d love to welcome you for a studio visit by appointment.
Now that these pieces are completed, I’m working through several long-awaited commissions and beginning to plan a new landscape series for a show later this year — an exciting season ahead. Subscribe to my emails if your not already to be notified with details of upcoming shows and new paintings and print releases.