Meet the Artists

Andrew Hollis is a North Shore-based painter. The studio is separate to the house and is where I paint full-time. I will be working in the studio throughout the weekend to welcome visitors and share the techniques I use.

I’m an artist who loves creating bright, colourful paintings. I primarily work with oils and love using smooth, bold brushstrokes that add movement and energy to the canvas.

Emily has been exploring and doing digital art since about 2016 (but has done creative and artistic endeavours her whole life). Emily is also a hairdresser, and has also done special effects makeup and face painting, as well as illustrated children’s books.

Fritha Fischer is a New Zealand painter working primarily in oils. She paints from life whenever possible, favouring loose, expressive brushstrokes that embrace the raw, tactile qualities of the medium. Her practice spans portraiture, still life, and landscape—whether en plein air or in the studio.

Darryl started his career of over 40 yrs with glass by designing and creating stained glass lampshades, windows and doors. From there he moved onto making his own kiln and firing bowls and lampshades.

She paints new life into each piece making it a unique artwork using the grains of the oak wood quite often to dictate the final outcome. She also uses redundant wooden planes and other wooden objects and occasionally canvases always painting in oils and using gold or silver leaf.

Welcome to my studio — a space where my journey as an emerging artist is taking shape. I work mainly in oils, creating nature-inspired scenes that weave people into their surroundings. Bold black outlines are my signature, giving each piece energy and definition.

Keum Sun Lee is a self-taught ceramic artist whose practice is rooted in traditional Korean techniques. While honouring these methods, she brings a contemporary twist through her use of colour, creating works that are both timeless and modern. Each piece demands patience, focus, and a deep connection to the process, resulting in ceramics that are truly one-of-a-kind.

Northart is a contemporary art gallery on the North Shore. It provides a platform for artists to present diverse, innovative, and contemporary exhibitions, while also fostering a hub for community engagement and creativity through events, workshops, and accessible programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. Northart will host two artists during the weekend with Rebecca Steedman on site Saturday & Jo Harris on site Sunday.

Rebecca creates ceramic sculptures and lettering related to local clay. Her exhibition at Northart explores the intimate relationship between materiality, language, and place. As a long-time resident of Tāmaki Makaurau’s North Shore, Rebecca possesses a deep familiarity with the tactile and visual nuances of its landscape.

In Niki Hill's current art practice she creates photographs and paints pyschological landscapes that evoke spirituality and otherworldliness—moments of calmness in a world of chaos. She also collaborates with her disabled daughter as GENIUS art collaboration to create projects that advocate for the environment.

During the Open Studios weekend, drop into Our House and create a masterpiece as a family.

We’ll have an art activity for the whole family to enjoy. Parents can make a cup of tea and learn about our services, while the children dive into a hands-on painting activity. 

Rebecca Owen is a passionate textile artist whose lifelong dedication to fabric and thread began in childhood, sitting beside her mother at the sewing machine. Taught to sew at a young age, Rebecca quickly fell in love with the rhythm of stitching and the endless possibilities of creating with fabric and thread.

Ute is a ceramic artist, focusing on hand-building. This technique allows the clay to guide the creative process, resulting in organic, intuitive forms. She draws inspiration from her travels, blending sustainability, colour, and nature.

William, a Cabinet Maker of 40+ years, has found his passion in sculptural woodturning; working exclusively with wet Oak. The wood changes form as it dries, releasing the tension held within the lifespan of the fallen tree.

Begin your Open Studios Kaipātiki weekend by visiting this special exhibition featuring artwork from participating artists. The opening night is a family-friendly event, and all are welcome. Come along to meet the artists, event organisers, and local board members, purchase artworks, and get ready for the event weekend.