Haven and Earth come together at Lake Tekapo! The McKenzie Basin is one of the most stunning places of New Zealand. Particularly at Lake Tekapo, the serenity of the surrounding mountains, the tranquil waters of the lake, and the proximity of the sky create an awe-inspiring experience. In 2025, I visited the lake and spent a delightful morning sketching. This painting is a culmination of those sketches, created later in my studio. Lake Tekapo Watercolour, 40cm x 50cm For more…
The amazing thing about Kaikoura is how those majestic mountain ranges meet the ocean. Where else can order crayfish cooked by the famous Kaikoura Seafood BBQ Kiosk, enjoy your meal at the beach and admire those incredible mountains while smelling the sea, and listening to the squawking of seagulls. Pure romance until I realised that the seagulls were only squawking because they wanted my food! This painting was based on a sketch I did at the end of the Kaikoura…
Oh my goodness, you won’t believe how breathtaking the area around Lake Tekapo is! I had the privilege of visiting the Mackenzie region for the first time back in 2025, and it was like stepping into a whole new world. The countryside there is simply stunning, so different from the rest of New Zealand. This painting is of the Church of the Good Shepherd, an iconic building right by the shores of Lake Tekapo. It’s a tribute to the hardworking…
Fish and Chips on Tahunanui has put a smile on people's faces while the original painting was on show at Wall To Wall Art Gallery, Nelson. The painting sold quickly and travelled to Auckland. However, if you like to put a smile one someone's (or your own) face you can now order A4 Prints and cards from www.nicolerussellart.com. This image shows two best friends having Fish and Chips at Tahunanui Beach. How did I come up with the subject? It…
This is a true story! None of the items in the painting are made up. The location is the corner or Aporo Road and Marriages Road in Tasman, South Island, New Zealand: One day an unknown neighbour decided to “beautify” the horse council sign by painting a horn to the horses forehead and adding the sign saying “UNICORNS” underneath. It made me giggle every time I drove past. Then, one day it was gone, stolen. The little shed used to…
This painting shows two best friends having Fish and Chips at Tahunanui Beach. How did I come up with the subject? It is rather silly isn’t it? The idea came into mind because a famous heron called “Hamish” visited our local village, Mapua, regularly. The seal was often spotted sunbathing on the Maitai riverbank. In my mind I brought both of them together on my favourite beach in Tahunanui. I once watched a family having fish and chips on the…
"Richmond Ranges from Motueka" sold recently at Wall To Wall Art Gallery. It was one of my wee little oil paintings and now there are not many left. The plein air painting group and I visited Motueka at the end of Staples Road and painted looking over the Nelson bay towards the Richmond hills. It was fun setting up our easels as close to the water as possible but then the tide came in and pushed us back further and…
My recent watercolour painting "Lake Rotoiti" sold last weekend. It was a very special experience painting this scene. The painting shows the lake impacted by rain and wind. In fact, I had to paint it from inside my car as my easel would have flown away. Even from inside the car I was aware of the hauling wind that was shaking my car and my windscreen wipers were going back and forth so I could have some visibility of the…
"Richmond Ranges from Motueka", 6 x 8 inches, is an original oil painting. This work is one of my plein air paintings. The plein air painting group and I visited Motueka at the end of Staples Road and painted looking over the Nelson bay towards the Richmond hills. It was fun setting up our easels as close to the water as possible but then the tide came in and pushed us back further and further. This wee painting is one…
Do you like a challenge? Recently I came across an advertisement for the STRADA Easel September 2025 Challenge. This challenge encourages to paint daily from life for 30 days. What better way to improve on your work? I have signed up and here is the link if you like to join me. https://www.stradaeasel.com/pages/september-2024-strada-31-day-challenge-information Yes, the link seems to point to the 2024 challenge but it is the correct link for the 2025 challenge.