The beauty of nature

Though not professionally trained, Ginney Deavoll would never say she was a self-taught artist because her family and other significant people in her life helped her learn – from an Oma (grandmother) who could make anything on a sewing machine to an uncle who taught her to paint through lines and shapes. She was brought up in a house where the kitchen table was rarely free of projects.

“My dad taught me how to draw and use watercolour technique,” says Ginney. “But my mum encouraged the creative side. She was a teacher and gave me the opportunity to paint my first mural at her school in Christchurch when I was only 14 years old.”

Ginney’s passion is for both art and the environment, and for a while she was able to combine her two loves as a kayaking guide with a painting side hustle.

“In the first years, I lugged my canvases and paints to remote beaches and hill tops to paint whenever I had a chance. I used Resene paint as that’s what I had and used for my murals,” she recalls. “I dabbled in other paints and mediums, but have found Resene to be perfect for me. I love the vibrant colours. I can paint using a watercolour technique, building up layers. There is a set of 12 colours that I always use and I have discovered how to make a multitude of shades by overlaying different combinations.”

Ginney has kayaked from Hahei to Cape Reinga and walked, biked and kayaked the length of the South Island with husband Tyrell. They published a book titled The Long Way as a record of their travels, and Ginney hopes her art can play a part in raising awareness for the conservation work necessary for our islands to endure.

These days, home is in Coromandel where she first met her husband and where they are raising two boys. “I feel like I’ve lived at the south end of Hahei Beach these last four years,” she laughs. “In particular in the ‘periwinkle pool’, an oval-shaped rock pool full of ever changing life. Our kids never tire of searching its depths for unexpected inhabitants and rare shells.”

Ginney’s artwork Periwinkle Pool will be auctioned off via Trade Me from January 15 to raise money for Paint New Zealand Beautiful, supported by Resene, to help beautify our communities with painting projects.

Get creative with Resene – Ginney’s Resene colour palette

New Zealand landscape paintings
This series of work features Kiwi artists using Resene Paints to paint New Zealand landscapes. Artwork is auctioned off is in support of Paint New Zealand Beautiful.

View artwork