ellaquaint and little art school

Hi there,

I'm Lizzie Thomas / ellaquaint, I am of Pakeha & Ngati Kahungunu, Ngapuhi descent. I reside South of the Equator in a little island nation called Aotearoa / New Zealand. Here we have the most magnificent wild beaches, primordial forests and an array of kooky birds quite unlike anywhere else.

Painting birds and animals is my happy place. I love trying to capture something of their personality or 'wairua' / essence, within my illustrations. Some of my series are inspired by my local environment and the little adventures I have out and about. Other series are motivated by watching Sir David Attenborough's epic nature documentaries. Sometimes my animals are realistic in their rendering. Other times I attempt to exaggerate their survival features or bring in other props to allude to the key concepts that I explore in my work.

The aesthetic that I choose to work within is simplistic, that way you the viewer can bring to them your own associations or ideas. Using environmentally friendly packaging is important to me, I have been proudly plastic free since 2011.

In a previous life I was a teacher of Art and Design; my degree is in Sculpture but my favourite medium is paint. I have also been an adventure tour guide however in the current climate, I won't be in a position to do that anytime soon. However I do have some interesting plans that link my love of showcasing my country and my painting so watch this space ;)

Since settling in Wanaka I have founded Little Art School. It has long been a dream of mine to encourage people to embrace their own artistic potential. I run classes whose core philosophy revolves around skills building, while encouraging creative development, in a fun and nurturing environment. Currently I am able to offer afterschool art classes, adult night classes, specialist workshops, school holiday workshops and arty parties.

I am open to collaborations and commissions so if you are interested please get in touch and we can have a chat.

Nga mihi x