Lake House Tutors

Alex Medland

Alex Medland (Kai Tahu) is an actor and writer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. In 2019 she trained at The John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne, a course focused on devising, clowning and physical theatre techniques. She is an alumni of The Big Idea’s Toipoto programme, and a member of the PAYPA (Performing Arts for Young People Aotearoa) Youth Advisory Panel. Over the last couple of years, she has performed in a variety of shows including Duffy Books in Home’s ‘Duffy in Bubble Trouble’, GLORIANA’s ‘The Maid’s Tragedy’ and Lake House Arts Centre’s ‘Era and the Kaitiaki.’ She believes in the power of storytelling and theatre to connect with people, build confidence and make the world a better place.  

Caitlyn Manning

Having recently graduated from a Master of Visual Arts at Auckland University of Technology (2021), Caitlyn is an emerging Artist and Children’s Art Educator. Caitlyn’s painting practice explores abstraction through colour, gesture, and form. Additionally, she loves sketching, mark making and print making.  She has had 6 years’ experience delivering children’s art classes.This is a hugely rewarding role combining her passion for creating and working with children. She is conscious of ensuring students are engaged, happy, safe, and confident in the class environment.

Chloe Lam

Chloe Lam is an artist recently moved to Auckland. She holds a BA in Visual Communication (Graphic Design) and a Master’s Degree in Art and Education. With more than 10 years’ experience teaching art to children, she runs a variety of art projects in different schools and studios throughout Auckland. 

Clare Brunner

Clare is an artist and art educator with more than 10 years’ experience developing art programmes and teaching in art galleries internationally. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National Art School (Sydney), a Graduate Diploma of Art History and a Masters in Curatorial and Museum Studies. Clare has worked with various learners, of all ages and backgrounds, but has spent most of her career working with children and young people. She has taught across various disciplines, including painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and ceramics. In her own practice, Clare works primarily in painting and drawing. As an educator, Clare shares her love for materials and art history, and places emphasis on individual creative process. Her passion is to create inclusive, immersive art experiences that develop the skills and confidence of her students.

Dean Trembath

Dean Trembath is a freelance animator, lecturer of life drawing and teacher of cartoon illustration and character design. He has diplomas in Commercial Illustration and Animation and has worked on the Disney TV series “Timon & Pumba”, “Duck Daze” and “Redux Red Hood”, as well as the, award winning, Russian tale of “The Two Brothers”. His passion for art has led him to master the mediums of Pencil, Pastel and Oil Paint, particularly focusing on portraiture.    

Gerry Copas

Gerry is a practising artist with 15 years tertiary teaching experience. His painting style is best described as hard edged and reductive. He was a finalist in the 2017 Wallace Arts Awards and has been published in the New Zealand Herald, Art News NZ; and NZ House & Garden 2018. He holds a BFA and MFA(Hons) from Elam School of Fine Art. 

Grae Burton

Grae Burton is a visual / performing artist and filmmaker.  He has over 160 artworks in the Wallace Arts Trust Permanent Collection. He was artist in residence at Suter Gallery in Nelson (2006), Artistic Director of Nelson's Independent Theatre and Arts Centre (2007 - 2009), and Special Project Curator during his tenure as resident artist, artist liason and associate producer (2011 - 2016).  He has curated and installed thousands of artworks across NZ.  Grae has mentored and worked with many contemporary artists over the years to help them develop professionally and make the most of their skills and talents.    

Hannah Berry

Hannah Berry is an artist from Auckland, primarily working across sculpture, video, and more recently jewellery. Her teaching philosophy focuses on experimenting as learning, and looking at other artists and each other's work to cross-pollinate ideas. Drawing from different artists - historical and contemporary - as a basis for her classes, she aims to infuse creative play with art history. 

Jo Duder

Jo is passionate about teaching Art – with a bit of Art History too! She has a Teaching Diploma (in secondary Art/Art History), a BA in Design and has been teaching at primary level for many years. The creative process fascinates and inspires her. 

Marion Breinhorst

Marion completed a BA/BFA Conjoint through Elam, Auckland University, in 2021 and is currently studying a Graduate Diploma in Secondary School Teaching. She regularly works with oil and acrylic paints in executing portraits, landscapes, and still-life, but also enjoys exploring print-making and sculptural practices. Art history is foundational to her practice and passion as it provides a plethora of models to explore, especially for teaching. Marion has previously hosted the lock-down Art Club and exhibited and worked at Lake House. 

Michelle Male

Devonport based artist, Michelle Male has been fine tuning her skills as a portrait and landscape painter in watercolour, acrylic and oil over the last 20 years. Michelle’s passion is for painting animals, people, landscapes and capture a moment in time. Her largest teaching project was coordinating a school mural. 

Natanahira Pona

Natanahira graduated from the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute as a wood sculptor. He has extensive experience managing sculpture symposiums and creating public sculptures around New Zealand. His passion for wood carving has spanned commissions, teaching adults and children and he is currently Lake House Art Centre’s Resident Carver. 

Noelia Bloise

I have always been a creative person with a desire to learn. My time in technical high school taught me to work with tools and different materials. Later in college, these skills helped me in my fashion design career, where I also learned about drawing, photography, sewing, and digital art. These tools have allowed me to express myself in different ways over time and that is why I am constantly learning. Currently, I mainly use watercolours and digital techniques, to create characters and my own little universe.  

Peter Grahame

 Dip. Performing Art.  Music composer, producer and director. Guitar, piano, percussion and vocals.   In the late 70's Peter began exploring music seriously by teaching himself guitar. He moved on to performance; playing solo and in numerous bands. After studying at the 'School of Audio Engineering', Peter completed a Diploma in Performing Art in 1997 and went on to compose, produce and direct music for professional theatre. For over 15 years Peter was a Music Specialist for Nelson District Health, providing music programs for intellectually disabled people.  Peter continues to perform solo and produce music, including the music for the successful 2021 summer season of "Era and the Kaitiaki", which was performed at Lake House Arts Centre. 

Rachael Burke

Rachael is an artist and art educator. She completed a Fine Art degree with (Honors) at Whitecliffe in 2021. Her creative practice is an ongoing exploration relating to perceptions of identity and selfhood. Working primarily in collage, her studio practice aims to investigate the multifaceted contemporary identity relating to concepts of the self. The fact that Identity is created through hidden processes, that we become individuals through metamorphosis, living in a constant state of flux are key concepts crucial to her practice. For Rachael, creative expression serves as a way for us to make sense and clarify inner experiences that often words alone cannot.

Rathikka Slick

With over a decade of experience within the film, tv and fashion industry as a talent manager, Rathikka has always been immersed in various platforms used for self-expression forms of art, literature and performance. Most recently she teaches and facilitates art classes for children. Rathikka’s philosophy of teaching involves learning art and history through an engaging, explorative and enjoyable creative process! 

Rosemary Dowler

Rosemary started making pottery in her early 20's. The wheel is her preferred method, whilst also using molds and hand-made methods. Rosemary’s primary motivation is personal enjoyment and the ability to tutor supported by her profession as a secondary teacher. 

Shiraz Smith

Shiraz has 15 years of secondary art teaching experience in the UK, Africa, Middle East and New Zealand including leading art departments and being a Dean. Her qualifications include a BA(Hon) in Visual Communication Design and Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Secondary Art. Shiraz is a fine artist who has exhibited internationally, created murals with children and currently immersed in the art of paper quilling.

Stella Chow

Stella is passionate about cake decorating and mosaic artwork. Her wide interests range from tailor-made birthday cakes, mosaic artwork, decoupage, paper quilling to clay sculpting. She originally began her career as an IT professional and ultimately followed her passion and personal dream to become a cake decorator.

Susan Browne

Susan has attended courses at Auckland Studio potters, Chelsea Potters and Western Potters. She has 20 years of experience in ceramic tuition for adults and children at Kelston Boys High and Freyberg Community Education. Susan has technical experience of hand building; slab method, pinch potting, coiling, slip casting and clay modelling, decorating with slip trailing, graffito, Mishima and working with glazes.  

Susannah MacDonald

Susannah is an exhibiting artist specialising in water colour, oil and acrylic painting and drawing, a published author, illustrator, and art teacher both for adults and children. She holds a Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts, is a flute teacher and a former primary school teacher. 

Trina Smith

Trina is an artist, graphic designer, teacher and mother. Running a graphic design business with her partner from home for 25 years meant she could also support her 3, divergent children navigate the education system. 12 years in the wonderful world of learning at Playcentre allowed her to support both her children and families within the community. Creative skills were valued at her children’s school where she became a valued learner support teacher for divergent students; children who are visual spacial, who think in pictures. Trina’s classes are fun and warm and diverse, mainly geared for primary age children where they get to sculpt, paint, draw and make an array of craft-based projects.  

Verity Kindlaysides

Verity has studied at Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts, graduating with a BFA in 2007. Verity also had 10 years overseas study and work experience in London attending at the Slade, UCL and The Royal Drawing School. She is a practicing artist working in painting, printmaking and ceramics. As an art educator Verity enjoys conducting demonstrations and teaching classes and workshops across Auckland, sharing her passion for the fine arts. Verity has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand including group exhibitions, 10 successful solo shows and received numerous awards for her painting, printmaking and ceramic work.