Meet the Artist
Hi, I’m Samantha, and I’ve been a creative soul for as long as I can remember! Over the years, I’ve dabbled in all kinds of arts and crafts, and I’m always exploring new ways to express myself.
My journey into textile art began during a challenging chapter of my life. After my daughter was diagnosed with liver disease and subsequently underwent two liver transplants (at 7 months and 9 years old), I became her full-time caregiver. Around the same time, I inherited my late mother-in-law’s beautiful fabric collection. With a need to stay creative and find moments of joy, I discovered free-motion embroidery—and I was hooked.
I started with whimsical pieces featuring fantails and kiwi, two of New Zealand’s iconic native birds. From there, I moved on to what I call my “positivity pictures”—vibrant pops of fabric offcuts paired with hand-stamped inspirational quotes. These pieces were deeply personal, often created with my daughter Lara in mind, to brighten both her days and mine.
As time went on, my work evolved to include landscapes and seascapes inspired by the breathtaking Pohutukawa Coast, where I’m lucky to live. I’ve also been fortunate to connect with a local upholsterer who generously shares their sample books and fabric offcuts with me. These textured and colorful materials add so much depth and richness to my creations.
Every piece I make tells a story—of resilience, creativity, and the beauty of finding inspiration in life’s twists and turns. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy exploring my work!
Exhibitions
2025
Cleveland Art Awards, Textile Category Winner, Otago Art Society, Dunedin
Summer Forest Exhibition, Fo Guang Shan Temple, Christchurch
2024
Art Salon, Fo Guang Shan Temple, Flat Bush, Auckland
Franklin Arts Festival, Franklin Arts Centre, Pukekohe
Franklin Arts Trail, Beachlands
2023
Raw 2023, Refinery Art Space, Nelson
Franklin Arts Festival, Franklin Arts Centre, Pukekohe
Franklin Arts Trail, Clevedon Creatives & Co, Clevedon
2022
Macleans Art Show, Macleans College, Auckland
Awards
Secret Beach, Te Puru
2025 Cleveland National Art Awards
Category 4: Textile/Embroidery/Stitch
Judges comments: “This small, highly textured piece is alive and breathing, with a strong sense of movement. It represents a secret and special place, and the materials in this instance have been manipulated to depict a specific landscape. Thread has been treated as paint, with a focus on a direct depiction, but not disguising the fact that it is a textile creation. It has a foot in three camps – textile/painting/photography – and it has maximised its 3D potential without compromising its 2D brief.”