About Me

Since moving to New Zealand, Anna has trained with the illustrious Judy Curnow, a protégé herself of the globally acclaimed artist Tim Wilson. Anna’s work has benefited from the addition of new techniques, such as a modern interpretation of the traditional glazing used by the Dutch Masters, first developed by Tim and handed down via Judy. Anna’s signature style combines the process of gilding with Fairmined eco 24-carat gold leaf and this oil paint glazing. The results are luminous portrayals of native birds such as Tūī, Kākāpō, and Kārearea, where she often presents the bird as making eye contact with the viewer. Through this unusual pose, Anna hopes to evoke an emotional connection, while the gilded gold leaf background imparts a sense of scarcity and value tied to our irreplaceable native species. 

Anna has a love of native New Zealand birds and these have become the focus of her paintings. As a conservation artist, she aims to promote awareness of and enthusiasm for these species and the conservation efforts working to support them. She feels fortunate to live on a rural lifestyle block within a targeted predator-free zone in which Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust and Predator Free 2050 are working to eradicate invasive species. Her painting is inspired by the native birds that surround her daily and her house is even named Kererū as they are such frequent visitors. She also draws inspiration from her travels to see other species around the country. For example, she recently visited the only Kōtuku nesting site in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve and travelled to Otago and the West Coast to study Kea where the Kea Conservation Trust and Department of Conservation are working hard to support struggling populations. Her new collection includes pieces inspired by these birds, alongside the Kahikatea trees that captured her interest whilst there. 

Whilst studying at Oxford University, Anna developed her art, working and attending classes under world-renowned tutors at the prestigious Ruskin School of Art. She studied Philosophy of Aesthetics and was particularly taken by Kant’s concept of the judgement of taste; the idea that art generates an intuitive emotional response and thus beauty is innately powerful in its own right. In Anna’s words, ‘though I enjoy pieces that provoke intellectual stimulation, this is secondary to the primary purpose of a work. It must make you feel something.’ Her pieces are designed to evoke an instinctive sense of beauty.

Since moving to New Zealand, Anna has trained with the illustrious Judy Curnow, a protégé herself of the globally acclaimed artist Tim Wilson. Anna’s work has benefited from the addition of new techniques, such as a modern interpretation of the traditional glazing used by the Dutch Masters, first developed by Tim and handed down via Judy. Anna’s signature style combines the process of gilding with Fairmined eco 24-carat gold leaf and this oil paint glazing. The results are luminous portrayals of native birds such as Tūī, Kākāpō, and Kārearea, where she often presents the bird as making eye contact with the viewer. Through this unusual pose, Anna hopes to evoke an emotional connection, while the gilded gold leaf background imparts a sense of scarcity and value tied to our irreplaceable native species. 

Anna has a love of native New Zealand birds and these have become the focus of her paintings. As a conservation artist, she aims to promote awareness of and enthusiasm for these species and the conservation efforts working to support them. She feels fortunate to live on a rural lifestyle block within a targeted predator-free zone in which Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust and Predator Free 2050 are working to eradicate invasive species. Her painting is inspired by the native birds that surround her daily and her house is even named Kererū as they are such frequent visitors. She also draws inspiration from her travels to see other species around the country. For example, she recently visited the only Kōtuku nesting site in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve and travelled to Otago and the West Coast to study Kea where the Kea Conservation Trust and Department of Conservation are working hard to support struggling populations. Her new collection includes pieces inspired by these birds, alongside the Kahikatea trees that captured her interest whilst there.