Our Team - Arts Canterbury

Our Team

The role of the executive committee is to plan and organise Arts Canterbury run exhibitions, seminars, workshops and social events for the benefit of members of Arts Canterbury. The committee is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting and is made up from members of Arts Canterbury.

Mandy Palmer

Chair and Exhibitions Coordinator

Based in Eyrewell, Mandy Palmer enjoys creating figurative studies in a variety of mediums. Mandy believes in “Artists supporting Artists”, and has previously been involved with the organisation of exhibitions for the Waikuku Artists Inc, and is one of the founders of the Pegasus Bay Art Show. Mandy has been exhibitions coordinator for AC since 2018, and has been elected to chair as of November 2022. 

Sarah Beal

Deputy Chair

I am a self taught artist, I paint in three different styles – still life and my quirky ‘girlies’, but my main focus at the moment is creating mad abstract landscape paintings – primarily in oil. Making art is the thing that makes me happiest, though I do a whole bunch of other creative things as well – have done since I was a child. Am so glad to be a member of the AC committee – I have learnt so much since becoming a member and hope to help pass that onto up and coming creative people.

Nikki Parker

Administrator, Membership Coordinator and Social Media

Nikki Parker, aka Absconditus Creations, experiments with a range of mediums and styles. She is currently on an illustration journey for the young, young at heart, and the slightly twisted. She works out of her studio near Rangiora.

Nikki joined Arts Canterbury in 2018 looking for an arts community to be a part of, she found her way on to the committee in 2020 after saying “Why doesn’t AC do…” too many times.

Nikki has been the membership coordinator since early 2020 and in charge of the administration and finance since mid 2020. 

Tania Wootton

I am a New New Zealand artist. I’ve only been painting acrylics for two years, however I have always had a creative soul, which started in bone carving in my 20s and moved through many different crafts/arts. I am currently enjoying abstracts. 

Jo Wright

Workshops and Seminars

Originally from London and have lived in New Zealand for nearly 20 years. I have always loved urban / contemporary/ graffiti style art and started creating during the original Covid lockdown of 2020 when I was encouraged to try my hand at digital art / painting. I love illustration work and cartoons so I am looking to move more towards that direction in my paintings. 

Expanding my techniques from digital to various other mediums has opened my eyes to the wider art community here in New Zealand and I was surprised at the warmth and sharing of knowledge amongst the Arts Canterbury group.

Lisa Jacqueline

I have always had a great love of art but after having to leave the Dunedin School of Art in 2010 due to health issues, I put all art aside for nearly 10 years. Over the last few years I have been becoming more involved in various artistic pursuits from commissioned portraits to graphite illustrations, oil paintings, linocut prints, ceramics, and watercolour. I could never pick just one of these mediums as I love them all greatly. I am always open to trying new techniques, styles, and materials… even I can’t keep up with myself!

Sheelagh McHaffie

Sheelagh is a self taught artist living in Christchurch, specialising in moody, emotive artwork.

Sheelagh has gravitated to white pastel on black paper “drawing the light instead of the shadow”, inverting the way she perceives and creates art. Light, composition and negative space are all considered to make art that has an emotional connection with the audience. Returning to art in 2022 after a 20 year hiatus, Sheelagh is busy building a body of work and is just hitting her stride.

Excited to be a member of the committee for Arts Canterbury, giving back to a group that has been so instrumental in her artistic development, and so supportive of her journey.

3rd place Winner at the World Art Awards 2023 (in her category).
Finalist at the Auckland Art Battle June 2023
Featured Artist in the Aotearoa Artist Magazine (Oct/Nov 23)

Deb Mullen

Most people call me Deb but I go by Deborah-Lee in the art world for my Dad.

I am based in Christchurch and play with fluid paint. I have always been creative in some form but have never found anything as exciting as fluid art. I call what I do ‘science meets art’ as reaction is my main focus by using a mix of acrylics and enamel.

Recording my process for future reference has been very helpful so as a consequence I now enjoy sharing time lapse on social media @Deborah-Lee Studios.

I have been a member of Arts Canterbury for more than a year now and can’t thank them enough for the help and encouragement I have received.

I’m very proud and committed to this organisation and look forward to giving back to our wonderful creatives.

Jane Reid

Kia ora, my name is Jane Reid and I am a self taught artist who works mainly in oils. I am passionate about art and craft in all of its many forms and believe in the sanctity of creativity as a vital form of human expression. I have a lifelong love of painting and have a strong commitment to my own personal growth as an artist. I have a background in art theory, with a Bachelor and Postgraduate Diploma majoring in Art History, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching.

My journey with Arts Canterbury began in 2021 when I finally plucked up the courage to begin showing my work at exhibitions and became a member of AC soon afterwards – I am so glad I did! What a fabulous, supportive group of people!

I am delighted to be a part of the team and enjoy supporting the Arts Canterbury community as a committee member.

Ngā mihi mahana, Jane

Rose Rudd

After studying Visual Communication and Design at Wellington Design School for four years in the early 90’s, I moved back to Marlborough where I was born and bred and worked within the wine industry alongside working as a freelance graphic designer and computer graphics teacher at the local Polytech.  In 2009, I moved to North Canterbury with my farmer husband and four children.

I then took on the role of Editor and Publisher for Pastel Artists NZ for 8 years while practicing fine art in soft pastel and sat on the PANZ National Committee, resigning in 2023.

My style of painting leans towards atmospheric landscape and I am now enjoying the freedom of mixed media, painting in acrylics; watercolours; oils and cold wax, incorporating any mark making tool in my expressive abstracted work.