This is a record of my art making, the experiences that I have in everyday life that inspire me and a document of the paintings that I produce. Sometimes I will mention different facts or stories that bear some relevance to manu / birds and New Zealand native flora. One of the key ideas within my work is the celebration of the uniqueness of the native species within Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Friday, March 14, 2008

harakeke korimako

Harakeke Korimako

3 canvases 205mm x 205mm x 35mm each

Archival quality acrylics and gesso on canvas


This work was one that I was particularly pleased with. I have been wanting to extend my use of colour, I can be a little nervous of using too many as it is so easy to get carried away with it. I really like the introduction of the orange within the pattern in the background. The koirmako / bellbirds turned out wickedly also.

hei tiki kahurangi


Hei Tiki Kahurangi

305mm x 405mm x 35mm

Archival quality acrylicson canvas


Here is one of my latest works. I was interested in seeing what would happen if I used a blue background. One of the meanings of kahurangi is blue. It can also translate to mean jewel, a treasured possession and is one of the most prized forms of pounamu (greenstone, New Zealand jade).

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

puriri piwakawkaka

3 canvases 205mm x 205mm x 35mm each
Archival quality acrylics and gesso on canvas


Here two little piwakawaka (fantails)chatter to each other. I am trying to look to other ways to add a life-like vitality to the birds / manu that I paint, showing movement or singing, chirping is a way that I can do that. The branches of the puriri tree are more cropped into the foliage than what I normally depict. This opens up the composition and allows the piwakawaka to be the main focus. It increases the naturalism of the scene.

tui mouku

Diptych 2 canvases 305mm x 225mm x 35mm
Archival quality acrylics and gesso on canvas


This was a commission that I really enjoyed working upon, it features a tui perched among flowers of ngutu-kaka (kaka beak). I am really happy with how I have managed to further explore playing with simplified kowhaiwhai forms in the tui's collar feathers. The background has layered up silhouetted of mouku (hen and chicken fern).

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About Me

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Auckland, New Zealand
Ella Thomas is a contemporary artist who lives in Auckland, Aotearoa. She is of Ngapuhi descent and has a passion for the beauty of the whenua (land), the sea and for the unique flora and fauna of New Zealand. The concepts that are explored within Ella's work are based upon notions of conservation, ecological balance and extinction. Her paintings often feature nostalgic patterns reminiscent of the mid to late 1800's, the era when European colonization occurred. It was during this time that many unique species of birds became extinct. The rarer a bird became, the more prized a specimen of it became. Alive or dead. Much of Ella's paintings are celebrations of the unique character of our surviving taonga (treasures). Ella has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and has been working within arts related industries for many years. She has paintings in collections nationwide, Australia, England and the USA. Finally the plunge has been taken and Ella has committed herself to fulfilling a dream, that of becoming a full-time artist.