Auckland artist Anna Mollekin on drawing Aotearoa’s birds and flowers since 2004.
Hi there, I’m Anna. I draw the native birds and flowers of Aotearoa from a little desk in Hobsonville. I can see the sea from my front door, and I absolutely love it. On sunny days I fling the door open, the breeze rolls in, and my lounge fills with that salty sea air. I can’t get enough of it.
If you’ve hung one of my prints, sent one of my cards or dried a dish with one of my tea towels, thank you. I thought you might like to know the story behind the artwork. It’s been a winding road, and I wouldn’t change a single bit of it.
Windswept at Muriwai, wearing my tūī artwork on a tee from my Doodlewear days.
Where it all started
I was born in Thames and moved to Hamilton when I was five. I was always the kid with a pencil in her hand. My primary school teacher, Ms Oliver, was the first person to really notice and encourage me, and I’ve never forgotten her for it.
My school book, aged five. Even then I was drawing birds.
In high school I fell hard for Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Bold lines and loud colour. I painted in acrylic on canvas back then, and if you look closely you’ll still see a bit of that pop art love in my work today.
High School 7th Form Bursary Artwork
The design and print years
I studied a Bachelor of Media Arts at Wintec in Hamilton and finished my degree with my daughter Mia on the way. Years later she became the inspiration for my My Sunshine artwork.
We moved to Matamata, and I got a graphic design job at the local print shop, Tainui Press. I spent about seven years there learning the trade from the ground up. I completed my print apprenticeship, and in 2007 I won the Graphic Pre-press category of the New Zealand Print Training Apprentice of the Year awards. I even made the Waikato Times, which still makes me smile.. That’s also where I fell in love with Ben Day dots, those tiny printed dots from old comic books. You’ll find them hiding in some of my older artworks.
At my desk at Tainui Press, 2007, the year I won my apprentice award. This photo was published in the Waikato Times.
From there I designed for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and ran my own design studio, until we packed up for a year in China.
Selling my artwork since 2004
Alongside the design work, I started selling my artwork in 2004. Commissions, galleries, the lot. My artwork looked very different back then, but that was when I realised people actually wanted my art on their walls. I still pinch myself about that.
My sister Olivia got my first prints into local shops, starting with Frida Knows Best. Over the years my prints have been stocked in lovely places like Kōwhai Interiors in Tauranga and The Lawnmower’s Son gallery in the Coromandel, to name just a couple.
My Frida pop art, Ben Day dots and all.
Colour and pattern from India and China
My first big eye-opener was India. I was engulfed by colour, especially wandering the little markets full of scarves, jewellery and saris. Nobody was afraid of colour. It was bright and cheerful and gave me so much energy. Back home I see a lot of black, grey and neutral tones in the shops, and I love those too. India reminded me how good bright colour feels, and you’ll see both sides in my artwork.
Having a go on the pungi with a cobra watching on, and everyday life on the road. India was a riot of colour.
Then came China. Living in China changed the way I see, and I’ve been lucky enough to go back plenty of times since. There’s so much heritage and history in the art there. Ornate patterns everywhere, bold colour, incredible architecture. I’ve always been drawn to pattern, and it runs through everything.
Shanghai at dusk, and centuries-old carving up close. All that pattern and detail still finds its way into my artwork.
Finding my lace style
In August 2018 I drew Kiwi’s Lace in my sketchbook with an ink pen. That little drawing was the start of my lace style.
Where my lace style began. The original Kiwi’s Lace ink drawing, 2018.
These days I scan my ink drawings and rebuild them in Adobe Illustrator with custom brushes I’ve drawn myself, redrawing them over and over until they feel right. The ink stage is loose and intuitive. The digital stage is smooth and geometric, which is the graphic designer in me. I love how the two sit together.
The same kiwi, rebuilt digitally and printed.
Not every piece starts in ink. Some I draw straight onto my iPad from my own reference photos or photos I have been permitted to use. Every single one is drawn by me, and I never use AI to create my artwork.
Why I draw New Zealand birds and flowers
Nature calms me. Give me a bushwalk any day. Birdsong, shade, walking through streams and a cheeky little fantail following you along the track. You often don’t see many people out there, and it puts life back into perspective. It always reminds me of summer.
And birds? I’ve been drawing them since that baby duck in my school book, and I’m obsessed with all of them. At Auckland Zoo I spent most of my time in the bird enclosure. I’ve put a feeder up outside the window where I work, and I’m about to put out some sugar water for the tūī. When I look up from my desk and see the birds in the treetops, I feel calm. I hope my artwork brings a little of that calm into your home too.
Made with friends
I’m all about collaboration, and I love being around other artists. Some of my favourite moments have come from creating alongside other people.
My artwork was printed on 50,000 cups across New Zealand and Australia for the BioCup Art Series in 2018.
Frida’s Flowers, a collaboration with Frida Vibes in New York.
My Spring Bliss cushion collection won the People’s Choice Award at Bolt of Cloth 2019.
Artwork for The NZ Team for International Women’s Day 2021, and a commission for Te Manawa library’s first birthday in Auckland.
In 2020 metal artist Ninette Kruger turned my Fantail’s Lace into pewter, and it changed everything for me. Read about our latest piece, Huia’s Lustrous Lacework.
Clay artist Emy Oikawa brought my native flowers to life in clay. Read the story of My Floral Sunshine.
My artwork as wall decals with Sticky Ticky.
My artwork on BioCup’s Art Series cups, 2018.
Wāhine Toa, for The NZ Team's Instagram post on International Women’s Day 2021.
My We Are One artwork on an Auckland Libraries card, for Te Manawa’s first birthday.
NZ Contemporary Artists Ninette Kruger, Adelien de Wet and Anna Mollekin at The Auckland Art Show May 2023.
The lockdown crossroads
Lockdown was another crossroads for me. I was doing freelance graphic design at the time, and my art was my side love. That period reshaped my whole direction.
In March 2021 I bought Doodlewear, an online shop working with other NZ artists, after being one of its contributing artists for years. I adored working with those talented artists and made so many friends. Running it taught me more about business and online shops than any course ever could. At the end of 2024 I made the decision to close it, and I’m proud of what we made together.
A complete change
After Doodlewear I wanted a complete change. I stepped away from creating and worked in a few different roles, including Sales Support at an engineering company. When that role was made redundant as manufacturing was moving offshore, it nudged me right back here. I value every skill I picked up along the way, and I use them all now.
Full circle
o here I am, an Auckland artist come full circle, back at my desk drawing again. I’m loving my watercolour learning journey with a monthly class. I’m also sinking my teeth back into graphic and web design, because I love marketing and helping brands tell their story. Good design should look great, work hard and get real results, and that’s the part I love most. More on that soon.
Every chapter taught me something, and it all comes through in the artwork I make for you today.
Back where I belong, by the sea and drawing again.
Find my artwork
If my story has made you curious, have a wander through my NZ art prints, greeting cards, art print tea towels and gifts and homeware.
What first drew you to my artwork? I’d love to hear. Pop it in the comments or send me a message.
Thanks for reading, and for being part of my story.
Anna Mollekin · NZ artist