Category: abstract
Recently Completed Works

After a somewhat prolific painting period in Feb/MArch, I was so pleased to be able to have some of these on display for the Mercury Bay Art Escape (Studio tour) recently. Also happy that some sold, and some are going to 2 separate galleries in our region.
I am totally loving my new abstract pieces, harking back to my first days of painting, and combining with some techniques both learned/inspired from others, and also self discovery as I go.
……
and last but not least , a commission I completed for a man who owns a Bed & Breakfast on the shores of our beautiful Lake Taupo, named after our native owl, ‘Ruru’, with views of the lake, and Mt’s Tongariro, Ngarahoe & Ruapehu. He asked for the owl to be the feature and for it to be set at night….I was really pleased with how it turned out.
(All image posted are ©Reina Cottier Art. All rights reserved)
New Works! – Falcon, Whale Tail, Peacocks.

I barely know where to start…. after having 6 weeks of no creativity thru end of December and January 2016 (kids on summer school holidays here in New Zealand), I have thrown myself back into it with a vengeance and so much stored up creative ideas, its like I cant stop and nor do i want to!
So this year has been about breaking thru some boundaries I was starting to get stuck in with my art last year. I still LOVE my precise detailing and fine lines, but I needed and wanted to do something alot freer and alot faster, so im having day on, day off with commissions (precise detailing taking alot of focus and time) and this new technique i hahve literally thrown myself into. Fast, no thinking, mixed media, ink, stencils, sticks, scrapers, acrylic, enamel spray and anything else i can get my hands on…. layers and layers of detail, to then use it for inspo to pick out something, in this case peacocks. 🙂
This first one is in progress, still have some to do, but its pretty much there,… totally LOVED these, they satisfied the aspect of me that is messy, uncontrolled, i even used my left hand (I am right handed) for some of it to make sure it was naive and not contrived in anyway.
In progress:
This is a Karearea (New Zealand Falcon, native bird of NZ), this is the second one i have painted, REALLY love the powerful energy that comes thru with these glorious birds.
and i started this whale tail yesterday… been wanting to do one for about a year, and finally felt an uncontrollable urge.
ALL IMAGES ARE ©Reina Cottier Art. All rights reserved.
For more on what im up to on a daily bases, come and visit me on my FB page, www.facebook.com/reinacottierart id love to chat.
Art Fair, Whale Mural, Colouring Book feature and commission complete!

Lots of news to share with you in this post….
first up,
©Reina Cottier Art (SOLD)
….Finished painting for commission “Band of Gold” .
see June 16 post for details on this piece, link below:
https://reinacottierart.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/band-of-gold-commission-process/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in other news, colouring book is going really well,
the regional paper did a feature piece on me and it spurred alot of interest
resulting in many sales of the book, so very happy about that! 🙂
Im also helping students at Tairua School do a whale mural for the school pool wall.
We have cut it into ’tiles’ and they will be mounted slightly apart…
progress is going well, with only detailing left to do, here is a part pic of it, not complete.
And last week, I had a stall at the Whitianga Art and Craft Fair… again, very successful, and alot fo fun.
Met some awesome local artists, and sold plenty of prints, colouring books and cards.
I also got 3 commissions out of it, and sold a mini board and 2 paintings…
cant really ask for more than that really, very pleased with the results.
Band of Gold- Commission process….

Ive started a commission for a lady, and she asked if this piece could be inspired/influenced/reflect one of her blog entries, ‘Band of Gold’. When I first read it, and about her, I was felt like I could have been energetically reading myself. We are very alike in many ways… naturally this has helped the whole process along beautifully. Im letting you all into a part of my process that I havent detailed in words before, because there are many relevant aspects to this painting and it gives you an insight as to my process, thought and intuitive feeling pattern. So Im including the blog entry for those who wish to read it, and an explanation of what I have painted so far. Bearing in mind, there are only the bones of the painting there at the moment, the white is merely the outlines of my colouring/detailing to come…altho some white will stay, Ill know that once I start ‘filling in’ my piece some more.
Here is her blog:
Band of Gold.
“There is no better feeling than knowing that where you are, is where you are supposed to be. I have had many moments through out my life when I have truly known that at that moment I was right on track. One of those moments happened while I was working on a sailboat named “Pentoga”, a little harbor 54, down in the islands. The name Pentoga is the name of an indian chiefs wife, from the Ojibwa tribe.
The captain and myself were sailing the owner and his wife from St Martin to the British Virgin Islands. We went through the the Anegada Passage from St Martin to Virgin Gorda. Now if we were going the other way it would be called the Oh-My Godda Passage due to the way the currents converge in that area with wind and swells it can be very nasty if you have to go the other way.
Luckily for the owners sake it was a smooth sail as the wind and seas were following. It truly made for an awesome sail. We were sailing at night and the captain and I took three hour watches. It was a crystal clear night, not a cloud in the sky. It will go down as one of the more memorable sails for me. It was the night I married myself to the sea.
I was up on deck on my watch, sometime in the middle of the night. The warmth of the night air and salt water on my skin felt so comforting. I was listening to the rush of water on the hull of the boat as the wind and waves were pushing us through the sea with ease. There was so much beauty and so much power, the feeling was unforgettable. At the time I was wearing a gold wedding band that my mother gave to me from her first marriage.
While that marriage didn’t last I knew in my heart that gold band could be used to represent something bigger than a failed marriage. To me the sea represents freedom, life, love and adventure. It is all knowing and powerful. It can carry you along in its loving embrace or it can pick you up and flick you across its body for miles like the little speck that you are. I love what it represents and I want the sea to always be a part of who I am.
So on this magical night I sat up on the deck of this sailboat in the middle of the Caribbean and married myself to the sea. I used the gold band as an offering and made promise to always respect, love and honor what the sea is to me. In turn it will always take care of me, even in the worst of storms I will always be protected.
Ive only told a few people about this moment, until now. I share it with you because its a part of who I am. Not everyone understands that to throw a gold ring in the sea means more than the value of the ring itself. Just like a marriage its about the pact, the promise to honor and respect that one that you made the pact with. I find my peace in the salt water and feel like its a part of me forever.
There are no words to describe the comfort it brings me to be in its embrace, no matter what part of the world I am in. It will most probably be my most profound love in this life. So as I am now so far away from where I made this pact, I find myself dreaming about this moment and planning my way back to my comfortable place. The home in my heart I call the sea.”
The painting so far:
Okay so the sun/moon, can be either. Moon representing the night on the boat. The sun representing Leo – her star sign, ruled by the sun -and the colours of Leo. The nautical feel of the sacred geometry around it again representing being at sea and just the whole connection to the cosmos universe etc…. and then we have the wave or the boat. Predominately a wave /sea of course, or It can also represent a boat as well, the bow of the boat rising up on a wave. Bottom centre-left sweeping up you will see the symbol for the feminine, (my client), lying on back going upwards left into the symbol for Leo wrapped in what will be a band of gold, and the ring encompassing the wave, so they are intertwined for ever. It will be a very subtle soft yellow, almost opaque in places, not a predominant bright band of bright yellow.
All the other symbols and patterns are just what I have intuitively drawn on for the feel of the whole painting. As I said, loads of colour and detailing to do yet, this is just the start.
©Reina Cottier Art.
thanks all, have a great day!
if you want to catch up with more if what im doing on a daily basis, its all happening over on ym FB art page,
youll fond the link in the column on the right there, at the top. 🙂
Elephant Word Art

The latest addition to my WordArt series, here is my elephant with carefully chosen words that energetically resonate with this incredible majestic animal. (all of the Wordart range is available in prints and cards)
©Reina Cottier Art
To see everything in the series, please click on “Word Art” in the page menu at the top.
Sacred Geometry

A little while ago i had an intense desire to incorporate some sacred geometry into my pieces.
whilst I didnt want a perfect symmetrical statement, I did want the feel/energy of it to come thru.
Combining this feeling with my style, these 2 pieces emerged,
both sold. 🙂
©Reina Cottier Art
©Reina Cottier Art
super happy with the results and this is just the beginning….
I feel many more with this underlying theme running thru it.
Kiwiana, Silver Fern & Tui Bird

New Zealand has many native flora and fauna.
We are blessed with some of the most stunning native bush in the world.
We live between native bush and the sea, so I get to go bush walking when ever I want to.
I could load up 100 pics 🙂 of my walks if i wanted to, but i wont , (collective sigh of relief lol)…
here are 3 to show you where i get my inspiration from………
….to then paint things like this:
©Reina Cottier Art. (Sold)
and, right outside my bedroom window in spring, are gorgous wee chaps like this Tui bird,
(another native of New Zealand),
talking away, clicking and singing with what sounds alot like a bell bird at times.
The stunning ‘metallic’ colours on this bird are mesmerising to me, these pics dont really show the deep gun metal grey, emerald greens and deep turquoises…the subtle nuances of them are what fascinate me, not a blaring vibrant “look at me” type thing, but more, an elegance, (esp with that ‘cloak’ of feathers around its nape), and a slight arrogance in a way. They are quite naturally tame, you can get within a metre or so when they are feeding and they dont mind at all.
so here are 2 of my Tui paintings:
©Reina Cottier Art (sold)
©Reina Cottier Art (sold)
hope you enjoyed a taste of Kiwiana in this post.
As always, im rampantly active on FB if you want to chat there 🙂
(my FB link to the right of this post)
or email me: reinacottier@gmail.com
xxx
latest work in progress…

©Reina Cottier Art 2015
this is a bit of something different from me.
mixed media for a start, decided to use some stuff i havent touched for a while so dragged out my old stencils, some spray enamel paints and some pastels.
Ive been reasonably ‘disciplined’ the last few months with the Mercury Bay Art Escape studio tour,
but now that that is over,
I let myself just do what ever i wanted with no plan or thought, no agenda, nothing.
First of all a bright coloured background with all my favourite tones and shades,,,
and incredible urge, probably carrying on from my scared geometry pieces, to draw some circles, random placing, didnt matter as long as it felt ‘right’ when i looked at it….. then some stencils with spray paint….
Ive been working on it on and off for a few weeks now, and ONLY picking it up when i feel like i really want to do something on it, not because i need to, have to or because there is nothing else.
SO its had a dedicated purpose, its been unfocussed focus.
Sometimes i spend 2 hours on it, sometimes 5 mins and Ive had enough.
Its big, about 40″ x 36″, and i know, i do my best work on ‘big’. (not REALLY big tho…yikes, i had a commission the size of a dining room table once, it was like a workout everytime i worked on it, phew! lol!)
anyway… i dont know how close to ‘finished’ i am, might be tomorrow, might be in 6 months… will keep you posted. 🙂
find me on FB, im there and happy to chat…..
http://www.facebook.com/reinacottierart
or email:
reinacottier@gmail.com
XXXX
Decorative Surfboard Mini’s

Handmade Mini Surfboards, made from recylced ply wood and painted.
Can be hung either vertically or horizontally, or leaning against something.
to inquire about pricing email me: reinacottier@gmail.com
All designs are ©Reina Cottier Art
Email me if interested: reinacottier@gmail.com.
©Reina Cottier Art
If interested in purchasing please email me: reinacottier@gmail.com
So much fun…. wil post complete and progress pics of more in the coming weeks 🙂
©Reina Cottier Art. All rights reserved.
Firefly, Feline, Butterfly & Bird

Below are the finished pieces, owner is very happy 🙂
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
This Butterfly was something light and fun I did as a ‘fill in’ with all my Xmas commissions. I find I need a break from the commissions all the time, so I stay fresh and inspired.
©Reina Cottier Art 2015.
This is a cropped piece of a Tui bird tail (Native bird of New Zealand), I have painted 3 of these birds now and I always start with the tail and complete that first, then I build the rest of the painting around it. I will post the whole three complete soon.
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
Angelic Series

SOLD
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
Been wanting to paint something with an angelic feel for quite sometime, but wasnt sure how to proceed.
A lovely client asked me to paint her some angel wings, and after I had done those, I suddenly felt inspired to paint the three paintings Im posting here. There is something very serene about the process in painting these, I was inclined to turn the music donw (I normally have it blasting) and didnt cope well with the phone going or anything distracting me for that matter. 🙂
SOLD
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
©Reina Cottier Art
There will be more in this series, but time to take a break from this theme and go to something else,.. I’ll definitely be back to this tho… 🙂
Tribal Goddess Series

©Reina Cottier Art 2014
I never know if one painting is going to become a series, until its finished and I feel there is something else inside of me.
This was the case with this series of lovelies.
They emerged / revealed themselves to me over the last couple of months, its been a total pleasure
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
©Reina Cottier Art 2014
there are a couple more in progress, I will load them up when they are finished.
EDIT: added pic
Reina Cottier Art Calendar 2016

Inspirational Wordart!

WORDART
I created this wordart using my images/paintings, I used words that are in tune with the animal/creature I have paired them with, or the feel of the image/painting I have used. The result was better than I imagined, and the resulting sales of prints and cards means Ive done something pretty spot on I think 🙂
So, we have 3 butterflies, an elephant, an angel wing, an owl, a peacock, a dolphin & a whale.
I will most likely be adding more to the collection as time goes on.
ALL WORDART AVAILABLE IN PRINTS ON CANVAS, PHOTOCARD & GREETING CARDS.
For inquiries on pricing, pls email me:
reinacottier@gmail.com
all images are ©Reina Cottier Art 2014
©Reina Cottier Art 2014.
If anyone is interested in prints, either on canvas, or on photocard, or greeting cards,
then contact me: reinacottier@gmail.com
thanks!

Finished Works

©Reina Cottier Art (now sold)
Finally finished Tribal moon Goddess. Phew.
That is the first face I have painted and, whilst I got the shape ok, the shading was a different story altogther.
Very happy with how she turned out, I didnt want her to look real, but I did want her to have a realness about her essence.
This one also finished. One of my faves actually.
Not sure why, I think its the magical dreamy quality about it, it just feels good for me to look at 🙂
a lovely NY collectors 2 paintings he bought from me, a dolphin & a whale.
I think they look great together.
©Reina Cottier Art
I have so much more to load up, I will be back!
Tribal Moon finished, & Work in Progress…

©Reina Cottier Art
Finished and Sold.
Was really pleased with this slightly newish direction I have taken lately,
Ive taken my detailing to a whole new level, and really loving the results,
feeling like im in a real transition period 🙂 so that then lead to this work in progress……
©Reina Cottier Art
In Progress
and then this as well
©Reina Cottier Art
In Progress
Not sure how much colour im going to put into these 2 above, not much i feel.
and lastly, …this in progress as well:
©Reina Cottier Art
Currently working on 8 paintings, have completely 2 whales, have a dolphin going, a lotus, and another frangipani painting.
Of course, I love it, and can only operate this way, if I only have one or two paintings on the go, I feel listless and bored & it never feels enough.
ok, must go, talk soon people.
xxxx