A love of the outdoors led to a desire to paint the mountains, coasts, streams and huts of NZ, and later native birds. Eventually a discovery of the versatility of acrylics gave fruition to that desire and Tessa began painting about 10 years ago. Self-taught, she loves the excitement of starting a painting, it going wrong, coming back to it, and eventually the satisfaction of the finished product.
Tessa studied Graphic Design for 3 years at The London School of Printing. In our last year 4 students, including Tessa, won a nationwide advertising competition, The Layton Awards.
She worked in London for a group of Graphic Designers working at the BBC on documentaries and also annual reports (no computers then!!) before emigrating to NZ in 1968. Moving to Ohope after marriage Tessa took up silk-screening, designing wraparound skirts, bags, hangings etc. She took up painting late in life.
