Jocelyn Friis is a New Zealand-based painter creating semi-abstract land and seascapes from her coastal studio in Mangawhai. Working in acrylic and encaustic, she explores the tension between nature’s resilience and vulnerability, reflecting our relationship to it. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Jocelyn draws on her Steiner education and deep connection with nature to inform her art. A four time award-winning artist and CreativeNZ grant recipient, she has exhibited widely across New Zealand and more recently the UK. Jocelyn is also a qualified facilitator for Art & Creativity for Healing and holds workshops both in person and online.
Portfolio
New work 2025
My semi-abstract landscape paintings are driven from a desire to explore the connection between creativity and nature and its profound ability to heal us. Rather than referencing a particular view or scene, they emerge from a deep place in my imagination.
Process
I use acrylic and encaustic mediums, which facilitate my free flowing style. Acrylics suit my spontaneous way of painting, while I embrace the ancient integrity of working with hot wax. Beginning with loose, unplanned, uninhibited marks and colours, I allow pure intuition and emotion to guide the canvas. This organic phase is deeply inspired by time spent in nature, where I absorb the energy of my surroundings and subconsciously transfer those emotions onto the canvas.
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