About

Reina Cottier ~ Visionary Artist


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Hi there 🙂  and welcome to my Website / Blog

I am a Visionary artist based in Tairua. New Zealand. (Born and raised in Aotearoa).

I create original artworks, merchandise, & hold art workshops & art retreats here in my Tairua / Coromandel Peninsula studio, & in select locations around the world.

I had a deeply spiritual, multi cultural upbringing, surrounded by art, craft, theatre & music.
I studied art right through school winning many awards. After a successful career in hairdressing, and owning a salon for 9 years, & a Salon Consulting company (business & staff mentor/coach) for 4 years, I sold everything up and after my kids were both at school, I took up painting and found an avenue for expression that was previously undiscovered inside of me.

Right from the start I knew I wanted my art to uplift & inspire. My art came from a place deep within. I was drawn to painting themes strongly inspired by different cultures, (I had very strong varied cultural influences growing up), along with sun, surf, nature. I found the koru (spiral) was a prominent feature that emerged in almost all my paintings. It became my feature symbol in most of my early artworks, along with strong ‘ocean’ themes, which evolved into oceanic creatures, especially since moving to the beach.

Last year the call of the ‘inner goddess’ has taken me down a path of the ‘female’ and symbolically incorporating intuitive marks, nature, animals & symbols to infuse the energy of what I am trying to convey. I use my intuition to create with very little pre-planning.
Inspiration is all around me, I literally breathe it in on a daily basis.  I am constantly inspired by the majestic mountains to the west and the wild surf beach to the east. “My art has developed and evolved immensely, with a somewhat ‘other worldly’ feel to it…at first it was totally experimental both in expression and technically, now it is certainly still very experimental, (I love being in the moment, no planning and just seeing what evolves on the canvas), but I have developed a certain style that seems to appear, whether consciously or not.

Over time I have realised my art is not just for me, it’s my gift to the world.

My work varies, sometimes mixed media, ink, sometimes acrylic, I like to experiment with no rules or limits. Im not interested in what is ‘accepted’ in the art world. Im interested in walking my own path, all whilst staying open and vulnerable, knowing that this is an every changing, growing evolving experience every single day.  My art is constantly evolving along with myself, I am forever stretching myself, taking risks, trying new themes and techniques.

I also hold art & art business workshops regularly, either here in NZ, or for instance I have a weeks retreat in Italy in 2025.

My paintings are in private collections worldwide, office blocks & hotels. My work has been featured in 4  books, and had a 4 page spread in NZ Artist Magazine, with my piece “Guardian” (the flying owl) was on the front cover.  Recently Stabicraft Boats wrapped one of their craft in my Seabed painting for the National Boat Show.

Apart from creating new pieces, I also spend a lot of my time on Instagram & FB (my art page), where I can interact with people more easily, I love meeting new people and building on those relationships.  I am not an ‘insular’ artist, connection with people & sharing my knowledge , is just as inspiring and important to me as creating.

All my socials are in my Menu.

Reina Cottier.

All my art and images are copyright. ©️Reina Cottier Art. All rights reserved. 

26 thoughts on “About”

  2. HI Reina! Happy 2012 to you. Just www browsing on this special morning and stumbled across your beautiful work! And I love the way you describe your process, which is exactly how I feel – I’ve just started experimenting with paint and other medium on canvas and am now even more inspired! I’m off now to look at your website and hopefully be able to order a calendar or 6 (for friends!!) 🙂
    Mari x

    Reply

    1. hi there Mari! and thank you so much, a very HAppy New year to you too. 🙂 So glad i could inspire you in some way, fab! Hey, tell me if my calendar is not what you are wanting, I can custom make a calendar of any 12 pieces/images of my art for you, takes me just a few mins and you just order online at Zazzle. I have done this for quite a few people, either with the word art, or the paintings, or both! 🙂
      lovely to connect, keep me posted with your art!! 🙂 x

      Reply

    1. Hey Kelly, thankyou for this!!!!!! (Im so busy right now, dont know which way is what…so I will get around to doing all these things once the bulk of my commissions are complete, and the school holidays are out of the way! lol!) MANY thanks indeed. Very much appreciated. 🙂 xx

      Reply
  7. Pingback: Intuitive artist Reina Cottier shares her work with us

  8. Hello Reina,

    Thank you for all this beautiful and inspirational art which I have just come across by accident. I have been away from the art world for a long time after a very difficult 20 years. Before that I was a dancer and artist and now need to return but am quite lost,afraid and don’t really know where to start. You have really opened my heart and I can now feel a creative glimmer of light growing inside. In fact, I feel quite emotional. I think its the ethereal,spiritual but “of the earth”, quality of your work that has moved me. I’m not really a computer person and wouldn’t normally write anything like this but just wanted to tell you. Thank you and warmest wishes. Kataryna x

    Reply

    1. hi Kataryna, 🙂 thank you for your beautiful words, i had a little tear in my eye as i read them, and felt my heart swell… Im thrilled to be a part of any awareness or (re)awakening of creativity, and it is people like YOU who inspire ME 🙂 xx thanks again, hope you have a lovely day ,,,, Reina.

      Reply

  9. Hi Reina! im doing an Educational Research project about visual arts and was hoping you could provide me some specific information.
    1. WHat did you aspire to be when you were young and why?
    2. What is the average price of your artwork? (i got around one or two hundred AUD).
    3. WHy did you decide to do Flora and/or Fauna?
    4. How is your artwork so beautiful?
    5. WHy is your artwork based on mostly Paua and Kina? (dont get me wrong, they are FABULOUS!)
    6. Who is your favourite artist, dead or alive, and why?
    by the way, number four you dont have to answer, its a statement/question.

    Anonymous, i think xox

    Reply

      1. hi there, thanks for that….. hey pls use the contact tab and email me these questions, also, a show of respect, be great to know who you are/ your name and what facilty you are with for these ‘Educational Purposes’. wha project/assignment is it and in regards to what? Like what will the data be used for? thanks so much, look forawrd to hearing from you. Email: reinacottier@gmail.com

  10. Hello Reina Iam so happy to have found such a fantastic artist to study on my art course a Te Wananga O Aotearoa. Anything I share of yours will be strictly reference and I will always have your name beside any of your art in my reflective visual art journal. Thank you for your inspiration.

    Reply

  11. Hi Reina
    I am a student teacher and one of our assignments is doing a lesson plan on a Māori artist, are you Māori? I hope this doesn’t offend you, thanks.

    Reply

    1. Hi there Ariana, thanks for your question & doesn’t offend at all 🙂 in short , no I am not. My sister is, & I had many influences growing up. Take care & have a good day x

      Reply

      1. Hey I really appreciate your honest comment and getting back to me ❤️ your art is amazing I’m just sad I can’t use it for my lesson plan ❤️
        Ngā mihi ki a koe

  12. I am evolving in new art experiences, with Toi Paematua, Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Hastings… one assignment we have been given, is too choose two artist of interest. I looked on line, and your work stood out for me, through your story, your journey, and where these experiences have taken you, in order to find your style of Art… amazing.

    thank you for sharing your journey, I like your style of work, hence, very little planning, just seeing what evolves on the canvas, with no rules, no limits, its new every morning. Chur!

    Nga mihi nui

    Janet Puna-Spooner

    Reply

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