Shona Mackenzie is a full time,  award winning, expressive artist currently living and working in Tauranga. Her work is heavily influenced by the beauty of the natural world and her deep connection to the lands of her two homes - New Zealand and Scotland.

As a visual collector Shona continually looks for and gathers those special and fleeting moments found in nature. The essence of what she observes and experiences is savoured and stored. With time these moments are processed - filtered through layers of memory and emotion and eventually they find their way onto canvas.

Identifiable by her expressive mark-making and rich layers of texture and translucent acrylic, Shona’s works invite the viewer to connect with the powerful places from their own past. Themes around belonging and home frequently appear throughout her practice as like so many New Zealanders, her story means she has a foot planted firmly in two countries. Through these lenses Mackenzie explores long forgotten memories, generational echoes of emotion, and what it means to be ‘of the land’.

Course Outline

Join Shona Mackenzie for five jam-packed days of mixed media exploration inspired by Central Otago’s rugged landscape.

Immerse yourself in the stunning autumnal landscape of Wānaka and build a series of expressive, semi-abstract works that are uniquely yours. With plenty of demonstrations, loads of hands-on learning and personal research, you will move past representational drawing and dive deep into your process. You will learn a raft of  techniques, follow your ‘what if’s’ and develop your own visual language.

Start the week off by learning how to create your own concertina sketchbook, lay down some initial marks, explore colour palettes and build your personal plein air kit.

Mid-week will be spent out in the landscape, working in your panoramic sketchbook in a loose and free way. Using a limited palette you’ll work on simplifying the essence of a landscape and refining what you record.

Over the next few days we will explore an array of mixed media and acrylic techniques. You’ll develop your knowledge of the elements that work together to create intriguing semi-abstract pieces. Using your sketchbook, memory and intuition you’ll produce a series of works on canvas that expresses your personal response to Wānaka.

Be prepared to get messy and work in new ways! Many of the skills and approaches you will learn from Shona will be transferable to further creative endeavours in other media.

This course is suitable for all levels of artists - from beginners to more advanced artists looking for a refresh or change in direction. To discover more about Shona’s practice head to her Instagram or Facebook pages.