Te Paki Stream Painting

South Pacific artist working in a variety of media, inspired principally by wilderness, living creatures and the mysteries of nature. Born in the UK, moved to Africa and then New Zealand in my early twenties. I had badly wanted to do art as a career, but the family insisted on a 'proper job'. Aaargh! So I ended up working as a lawyer in government for 16 years, hiking the high country of Central NZ at weekends and holidays to keep sane - creating, exhibiting and selling art in my spare time. My father died prematurely. I moved home to the country and stepped into his shoes on a 10 acre block - it was definitely character-building... Later, my mom got Alzheimers and for 10 years I cared for her sole charge, freelancing in graphic design on the net to keep in touch. Works are in private collections in NZ, Australia, several states in the US, Canada, and France. My Portfolio of Prints of Game Animals published by NZDA as a limited edition of 300 sets, sold out. In 1999 I won the Telecom Art Award for Northland NZ, my art featuring on the Northland Phone Book for the year 2000. In July 2010 the invitation came to illustrate a book called 'Taketakerau The Millennium Tree' - , published in NZ early 2012. The brief was 36 full-page, gallery quality paintings ("none of that cartoon stuff"). The challenge was huge - I had never painted so much to so short a deadline before, and it wrecked my sleep patterns. The book has won 5 awards, though. Peace - Patricia