🍃 Commission for Dept of Conservation ( DOC) Thames. 🐌
100cm x 80cm~ Acrylic ink & acrylic
🐋 While the original painting will hang in the Thames / Coromandel Peninsula Doc office, the image of it will be used as a peep board / hole in the head board for promotion & events to raise awareness of our native forest but predominantly the Kauri tree & the effects of kauri dieback disease on this mighty tree.
The brief was to include Kauri, Tohora ( whale) , Ruru (owl) , Kereru ( wood pigeon) , giant weta & giant snail. The words read:
“Just as kauri entwine with others to protect the health of the forest, we work together to protect our kauri lands for future generations.
He waka eke noa – We are all in this together”
( please feel free to google the relationship and story between the Kauri & Tohora its beautiful )
Sometimes, even when I am not on a roll, when I am not in the flow, and when I am not painting every minute that I can, I just come in here and hang out because this is a part of me & it makes me feel good.
Sometimes I am tidying and organising, and sometimes I just sit and stare out the window and be with whatever I am that that day.
This is my sacred space, my creative space & my public space. This space belongs to me and no one else, and if I want to be completely alone, I just shut and lock the door and pull the curtains and .. Here I Am.
Thanks for joining me occasionally in here, & appreciating this with me. I take nothing for granted, everyday in here is a total blessing. 💫 Have a beautiful week everyone 💜
Pearls are symbolic of wisdom gained through experience. The gems are believed to offer protection, as well as attract good luck and wealth. They are well-known for their calming effects. Pearls have a way of bringing balance to your karma.
This is one of my latest pieces, continuing my ocean, reef them.
I have just completed this Paua (abalone) painting. Capturing those shells is very challenging, I have painted Paua once before and it took a whole day to get it right. And you have to get it right, it’s a very unforgiving subject. 😎 The light, the colours, the blending… a test of my patience & determination 😆 I
On a roll! continuing my love affair with Ocean / Reef/ Sea themes. I have 2 more completed & sold in the last 3 weeks. Revisiting this ‘older’ style (last time I painted like this was 2017 for the huge commercial stairwell installation ) has been so refreshing. Painting with new perspective, fresh eyes, and a deeper love for my process & my creative journey. Patience & discernment are my biggest learning curves over the last few years, just because my inspo, concept & flow is at a hundred miles an hour, does not mean my process has to be as well. Taking my time with deep consideration.
More on the Paua piece in another dedicated post soon.
Stabicraft approached me a few weeks ago, and asked if they could use my artwork , ‘Seabed’, to wrap one of their boats for the NZ Boatshow. This is the result doesn’t it look amazing! The boat sold within half an hour of the show opening, the new owners loved the art! West Coast Boat Wraps did an amazing job!
Here is my latest painting. I got inspired after a boat company licensed my seabed image for a boat wrap ( will post separately on that) and I felt excited to paint something in that theme & style again. The entire painting (100cm x 75cm) took less than a week, it all came together with an ease & flow of this style that I haven’t tapped into in years. I used acrylics & acrylic inks. A most enjoyable refreshing experience!
“In April 2020, after 11 years of pretty much painting full-time five days a week & creating a large online presence, creating guidance cards, holding regular art workshops & retreats , & building a successful career out of my art, I decided, after feeling overwhelmed & burnt out, to take an extended period of time off and paint soley and only for me.(as opposed to painting to sell). I had no idea how long this would last and I didn’t retreat completely, I still posted my art online but it was merely to share my expressions of my inward journey. Amazingly ,these artworks all sold. This surprised me, as I had a complete change of direction and theme for my artwork… I painted women’s faces, faces from my imagination, faces from my meditations, faces with symbols & totems, faces with abstract shapes & nature. I emerged from this cocoon in about July of 2021…. I was over faces lol!In March of 2021 I went on a magical trip to the South Island of NZ with my husband , and it had a profound effect on me. I took 3-4 months to process , to sit with it all before starting on my series on the bold unapologetic terrain of this raw untouched land, it was palpable, the energy of it was in me. The effect was that I actually change not only the theme of what I was painting, but my style as well , this land begged for simple lines and no fuss, not something I was used to! I started with the Milford Sound & Moeraki Boulders, and it soon evolved into stylised landscapes & random rocks, layers of land, more so echoing the Coromandel Peninsula as the months past, and of course injecting my adoration for the ocean in with them. Layers. Depth. Pieces of the puzzle. Stepping Stones onward … the Journey is ongoing & evolving with every creative experiment. Because let’s face it every piece I do IS an experiment. As an Intuitive Painter there is no planning or conscious thought as to how or what a ‘result’ will look or feel like, it is just starting and going with that flow, and I know the feeling… when it’s ‘right’”
Right now? Outdoor butterfly art is where I’m at! – in progress..
My Guidance Cards are now 13x9cm . (and 400gsm card stock with a silk finish).
My original vision for these cards was this larger size, but at the time , 3 years ago, I couldn’t find anywhere to print this size , near here, that was cost effective. Finally , I’ve found somewhere and I’m thrilled with the results, they look amazing!
They are exactly the same as before, just bigger, and I think, better 🙂
If you are in the area, or know you are coming and would like to see what I have on offer, please either contact me here using the Contact Form below, or message me in FaceBook here:
Honoured to have my latest Tui painting
on the cover of the latest Coromandel Life Magazine!
AND a 2 page feature on yours truly inside.
This mag is a widely distributed, visually stunning,
glossy mag filled with art & artists.
This is the second magazine my artworks have graced,
the former being New Zealand Artists magazine in 2015
with my flying owl, and a 4 page feature inside.
This mag, to this date, remains their biggest selling issue!
For commissions & available artwork please use the contact tab in Menu
For more information on accommodation please CLICK HERE or the Art Retreat link below
Add ons: (extra cost) -Sunrise at Hot Water Beach Tour -Catherdral Cove by boat -Lost Springs (Thermal Hot pools Whitianga)
PRICING For more information regarding workshops & retreats & costs, please use the Contact form below, .
Business Workshops for Artists/ Creatives
This is predominantly for artists /creatives.
I ALSO OFFER THIS AS A ONE ON ONE SKYPE/ZOOM SESSION. (Please use the form below for costs) orCLICK HERE for more info
With almost 30 years of self employment (in 4 businesses) under my belt, I’ll share with you how I made my art my business using Social Media, (and other online sites) & how I increased art sales online with a relatively small following, and then built that following up with genuine, authentic input. How I built a global following (from New Zealand) and that translated into regular art sales across the world. Also, how to make the most of the followers you do have, rather than constantly trying to gain more.
3 hour or full day (bring your own device) workshops.
Can be one on one, or groups. (online Skype sessions available)
(TESTIMONIALS BELOW)
PRICING Because there are so many variants with these bespoke courses, it is very difficult to put set prices up. Please use the CONTACT form below to discuss your /your groups needs with me, and I can give you a firm cost for everything, or we can custom something to suit your budget 🙂
ENQUIRE / CONTACT Reina here:
TESTIMONIALS& REVIEWS
“Ive attended two of Reinas workshops now on social media and promoting business and found both to be very valuable. Reina clearly understands how to use social media and gets her point across simply and effectively with practical examples which are relevant to someone running a business and not someone who has a fascination with the inner workings of Facebook or Instagram for the sake of it.
As a working artist who relies heavily on social media I would definitely recommend her sessions”
-Ian Preece-Trustee (Chairperson) Mercury Bay Art Escape
….
I have had 2 Skype sessions with Reina now, on developing my art into a business. I have got so much out of it, I started knowing very little about the business side and how to market myself in an effective way. Reina showed me how to do this in a time and cost effective way. I love how she is real about the struggles, gives relevent info according to where you are at because she has been there. It was easy, enjoyable and loved connecting with her. Thank you Reina!
Maia- Canada
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I spent a half day with Reina in her studio learning all her tricks, we used an array of mediums, stencils, acrylic, inks, spray paint and much more. It was honestly the best 3 hours Ive had with regard to my art and feeling brave enough to try different things. I learned so much! Over the following months Im going to apply these techniques to my own art and I havent felt this excited about art in ages! Thank you Reina! -Marion Burton
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“MY ART WILL BE DISCOVERED.” If I keep working in my studio someone will discover me. No they wont!!!. Exposure equals success. Reina will be able to walk you thru the ins and outs of online marketing, & building your presense in an ever increasing online art world. Reina has inspired me to learn more about what I need to do to make this all happen, and with her support I have been successful with online selling and advertising.”
-Wendy Walls- Artist
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“The best thing I ever did was invest in a full day workshop with Reina. She knew how to connect with everyone and was very attentive and patient with all our individual needs. I learned so many new techniques that has helped my art to progress to the next level which, as a beginner, was what I was hoping for. Love her attitude & sense of humour too! Cant wait for the next one!” -Cheryl Lovegrove- Artist ….. “Reina’s social media workshop is so practicaland informative. She uses live examples of her own successful social media strategies which is so helpful for all aritsts sellling their work through social media. channels! Totally ecommend Reina.” -Kathryn Tsui – former Curator & Administrator of the Mercury Bay Art Escape. ….. “We were very pleased to have Reina as our workshop tutor last year. She was generous in sharing her techniques using stencils, rollers, overlaying, blending and fine work with free flowing inks & paint. Reina did a group demonstration and also gave us all individual attention. We all came away inspired and some of us have continued with inks and others are using the techniques learned . I would highly recommend Reina as a tutor .” -Rachael Churton Morrinsville Lyceum Club
…. “I have been an artist for twenty years and approx four years ago I recognised the need to build a social media platform to grow my sales and my brand. Knowing little in this area I met with Reina Cottier and spent an outstanding day with her in Tairua to build my understanding of this outlet. Reina’s knowledge and expertise was simply amazing and she set me on a path to significantly improve my sales results and to enjoy more success without the reliance on galleries who take a substantial amount of my sale price as commission. I am so grateful to Reina for sharing her expertise and ongoing support. I strongly recommend her to you if you are wishing to grow your art business. -Gaylene Lonergan- Artist …
Reina Cottier Art 