Introduction to Collage - 4-week class
I'm teaching a new collage class at DEPOT Artspace, Devonport.
This 4-week course is an introduction to collage as a creative outlet for self-expression and creative exploration.
You will learn a variety of collage techniques and approaches, working with colour, shape, composition, texture, and layering. The focus is on experimentation and play, allowing space to discover your personal style and develop ideas at your own pace.
We will explore a range of methods, from paper-based collage to 3D applications.
The studio provides a supportive, slow-paced environment to unwind, reconnect with your creativity, and enjoy the process of making.
This course is suitable for creatives wanting to loosen up their practice, or anyone curious about collage as a therapeutic creative outlet.
Suitable for all skill levels, materials provided.
Acrylic Painting – One-Day Workshop
If you'd like to give painting a try without committing to a full term, I'll also be teaching a one-day beginner workshop at Te Uru.
All materials are provided, so you only need to bring yourself.
Acrylic Painting Weekly Classes – Term 3
I'm running my seven-week beginner figurative painting course again this term in two locations:
These classes are designed for people who have always wanted to paint but haven't known where to begin. We'll cover drawing, colour mixing, light and shadow, proportion, and brushwork while working towards a finished painting on canvas.
Click on the links above for more details and enrollments.
Matariki Collage at Corban Arts Centre
Bring your whānau and friends along and join us for a magical evening honouring Matariki through creativity, connection and community.
Wander through our indoor evening market in Shed 2 and explore over 40 stalls from talented local artists, makers and creatives.
While you’re here, enjoy delicious hot kai from Five Star Eats food stalls and listen to live music from Crescendo singers and songwriters.
Pop-Up Collage in Shed 2 - tap into your creative side through spontaneous paper collage.
Enjoy a free playful journey into self-expression as local collagist Naomi Azoulay guides you to follow your intuition, choosing images, colours, and textures that reflect your unique vibe. With techniques like tearing, layering, and arranging, this workshop celebrates creative surprises and happy accidents.
You are also invited to write a wish to Hiwa-i-te-Rangi with artist Penny Howard in Projectspace. Hang your wish on the red whai, ready to be sent to the stars during our Dawn Wishes to Hiwa event on Tuesday, 21 July.
More details here
Rage and the Machine | Thank you all
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to Rage and the Machine last weekend at @ukaipo. I’m honestly humbled by the support and encouragement—I felt it all.
A few of you reflected back to me the evolution of my practice, which meant a lot. From my first solo show, Women of Valour in 2020 (paper collages), to Where Are You From? in 2023 (oil portraits), and now this body of acrylic paintings. Some of you have been to all three, noticing how the work keeps shifting while the focus on bold, vibrant portraits stays.
A massive thank you to Cat and Lucia Ruka for hosting us in their beautiful space. Special thanks to my dear friend Marieka for sharing your powerful poem on rage. Thank you, Rob, for listening to my endless rants about rage and for installing, fixing walls, and spinning my favourite tunes. Thank you, Catia, for lifting up the vibe with your fine selections. And to the super talented photographer @tatiana harper for capturing the opening (for the third time!).
Thank you for the flowers, gifts, cards, and all the love.
Still recovering from a big weekend, but already sketching the next thing. Something different again.
Make a Mother's Day Card!
Make a Mother's Day Card | Free Event - All Welcome
A free, drop-in community activity to make cards for Mother’s Day @upstairsart, Lopdell House.
In Aotearoa, World Collage Day falls on the day before Mother’s Day, making it the perfect time to create handmade cards using upcycled magazines, coloured paper, and found imagery.
Drop in and stay for 5 minutes or an hour. Make one card or a few. No experience needed. Just come and have a play and show your mama some love.
All materials provided. All ages welcome. No need to book.
This marks the sixth year I have hosted a community event for World Collage Day, alongside many others taking place around the globe.
Saturday 9th May
10am to 1pm
The Upstairs Gallery
Lopdell House
419 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi
Rage and the Machine
I’ve been working on this series for the past couple of years.
It started when I was working at DotDot, helping creatives build virtual venues and use AI tools for image and video. That made me curious. I wanted to see what AI does with something as complex as feminine rage, and how it reflects it back to us.
I began by generating photographic images with AI, then reworking them in Photoshop, and finally translating them into large-scale paintings.
With everything going on in the world right now, rage isn’t something to smooth over. It’s a signal. A response. A force that can drive change.
Rage and the Machine
Pop-up Exhibition
Fri-Sun 1-3 May
Opening Event
Sat 2nd May 2-5 pm
Ūkaipō
249 Symonds St, Tāmaki Makaurau
Beginner Figurative Painting — Term 2 at Parnell Community Centre.
Beginner Figurative Painting — Term 2
First time running this course at Parnell Community Centre.
A 7-week class for beginners who want a clear, practical way into figurative painting.
We’ll cover the essentials: drawing for painting, light and shadow, colour mixing, and brush handling. Everything is broken down and demonstrated so you can follow it easily.
You’ll work on stretched canvas, building a painting from start to finish, using simple studio methods.
Small group, relaxed pace and plenty of guidance.
Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Starts 29 April | 7 weeks
Bring your own materials (list provided). Canvas available if needed.
Enrol: https://villagesquare.org.nz/enrol/p/figurative-painting
"To be angry is to refuse what is unjust."
"To be angry is to refuse what is unjust." Sara Ahmed, Rage and the Machine. Exhibition opening, Saturday 2nd May 2-5pm, ŪKAIPŌ , 249 Symonds Street, AK.
Term 2: Beginner Figurative Painting at Te Uru
Term 1 was such a beautiful ride with brave first brushstrokes and some seriously powerful paintings. So… we’re going again
Term 2: Beginner Figurative Painting
Fridays, 1 May – 12 June | 2–4PM
Te Uru Gallery, Titirangi
If you’ve been thinking about starting painting (or finally giving it a proper go), this is your sign. We’ll break it all down, drawing, colour, light, brushwork, step by step, in a relaxed, supportive space.
No experience needed. Just show up.
$300 | Materials included
Enrol: https://teuru.org.nz/.../figurative-painting-naomi...
Rage and the Machine | Pop-up Exhibition
I’m uber excited to announce my upcoming solo exhibition, Rage and the Machine.
I’ve been working on this series of portraits for the last couple of years. I began by generating images with AI, exploring it as a possible tool, and thinking critically about how it reflects complex social issues back to us. I then manipulated the images in Photoshop and painted them onto large canvases.
The results are intense, bold and powerful. Seeing these larger-than-life faces in person creates a real physical presence that pulls you in like no screen can.
As always, I’ll be hosting a lively opening (it’s becoming a bit of a tradition) with strictly vinyl DJs, nibbles and drinks sponsored by Hallertau.
Rage and the Machine | Pop-up Exhibition
Ūkaipō Creative Space
249 Symonds St.
Tāmaki Makaurau
Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd May
Opening event: Saturday, 2nd May, 2–5 pm
Ngā Uri E! Collage Workshop at Glen Eden Library
Last weekend, I facilitated the Ngā Uri E! collage workshop at Glen Eden Library.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a morning of thoughtful making and reflection on identity, whakapapa, and personal journeys. It was a rich and engaged group, with participants spanning a wide range of ages and backgrounds — including some who travelled in from town to attend.
I’m grateful to share this feedback from participant Jen Aldridge (The Gentle Art Company):
"The free workshop I attended at Glen Eden Library, championed by the mega-talented Naomi Azoulay, was brilliant!
Naomi guided us with prompts and a massive pile of magazines and quality books to choose from. With absolutely everything provided, it was amazing just to turn up and get stuck in. I chose to explore ‘Where I come from’. Naomi circulated regularly and offered guidance or encouragement; she was very present and available to assist. The main takeaway for me was her encouragement to be intuitive in our exploration of material and storytelling.
I was sitting between a lovely senior and an Industrial Archaeologist. I was amazed at the broad range of people there to explore collage on a deeper level. Naomi led with a lovely energy and vibe, which the room responded to.
The 4-hour workshop was extremely pleasant, and Glen Eden Library was a fantastic venue. I would do this workshop again in a heartbeat. I’d also encourage others to do the same. It was incredible to learn from someone so accomplished and free in her own creativity."
Thank you, Jen, for your generous words.
Community-based creative spaces like this continue to remind me how powerful accessible, facilitated art-making can be; in libraries, galleries, and shared public spaces.
Beginner Figurative Painting (8-week course)
Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery — Fridays, 2–4 pm
13 February – 27 March | Materials included
This beginner-friendly painting course is designed for those who want to learn figurative painting in a clear, supportive, and encouraging way — even if you’ve never painted before.
Led by artist and educator Naomi Azoulay, the course breaks down the fundamentals of figurative painting into manageable, step-by-step processes. Participants will be guided through drawing for painting, proportion, light and shadow, colour mixing, and brush handling, with demonstrations and plenty of time to practice.
Working on a stretched canvas, you’ll develop your own figurative painting from start to finish, learning practical methods Naomi uses in her own studio practice to simplify the painting process and overcome common beginner challenges.
The focus is as much on building confidence as it is on technical skill. Classes take place in a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental environment where questions are encouraged, and progress happens at your own pace.
All materials are included.
Details:
📍 Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery
📅 Fridays, 2–4pm
🗓 13 February – 27 March
🎨 Materials included
🎯 Suitable for absolute beginners
Intuitive Collage on Wood (8-week course)
Parnell Community Centre — Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Starts 11 February | All materials included
Intuitive Collage on Wood is an 8-week course designed for anyone curious about collage as a rich, expressive, and deeply personal art form.
Guided by multidisciplinary artist Naomi Azoulay, this course draws directly from her studio practice, sharing the collage portrait techniques she uses in her own work. Participants will be introduced to a range of approaches to cutting, layering, composition, and image selection, while being encouraged to trust intuition and develop their own visual language.
The emphasis throughout the course is on process rather than perfection. You’ll experiment freely with found imagery, texture, and colour, allowing ideas to unfold organically over time. Working on a wooden board, each participant will create a resolved collage portrait — this may be a self-portrait, a portrait of someone you love or admire, or even a beloved pet.
This course is ideal for beginners, curious creatives, and anyone wanting to reconnect with their creativity in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.
Details:
📍 Parnell Community Centre
📅 Wednesdays, 6–8 pm
🗓 Starts 11 February (8 weeks)
🎨 All materials provided, including a wooden board
✨ No prior art experience required
A Free Collage Workshop- Stories Carried Across Waters
Glen Eden Library — Saturday 21 February, 10am–2pm Free | Ages 15+ | All materials provided. This free, hands-on collage workshop invites participants to explore the stories, journeys, and lineages that shape who we are and how we belong in Tāmaki Makaurau. Inspired by the kaupapa of Ngā Uri E! — the understanding that we are all descendants of movement, migration, struggle, and tide — Stories Carried Across Waters offers a space to reflect on identity, whakapapa, and connection through intuitive collage-making. Working with upcycled imagery, colour, and texture, participants will create visual narratives that honour resilience, self-determination, and the ways our lives are interwoven. Through mindful cutting, layering, and reassembling, we’ll explore how personal and collective histories can be held, disrupted, and reimagined. This is a space for experimentation rather than perfection — an open, supportive environment where curiosity is encouraged, and there is no “right” way to make. No prior art experience is needed, just a willingness to explore and create.
Details:
📍 Glen Eden Library
📅 Saturday 21 February
⏰ 10am–2pm
👥 Open to ages 15+
🎨 All materials provided
💛 Free, no experience required
Pop! Punch! Sip! A collage workshop at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Enjoy the colourful energy, humour and playful spirit of Pop art in this creative collage workshop inspired by 'Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts'. Using magazines, coloured paper, comic elements, markers and punchy text, you’ll create your own vibrant composition, incorporating a self-portrait taken with one of the Gallery’s thermal instant-print cameras.
This relaxed, social workshop invites you to experiment freely with colour, shape and words. No experience is needed – just curiosity and a willingness to play. Enjoy a beverage from the bar upon arrival – your first drink is free and the snacks are on us!
4 Dec 2025
5.30—7.30pm or 8—10pm
To get your tickets, go to: https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/event/pop-punch-sip
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing anniversary
Today marks the anniversary of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing—the OG of fighting the system and shattering glass ceilings.
I made my first collage of her while she was still alive and the second after her passing. The emotions behind each piece were worlds apart. The first is displayed at the Manukau District Court, and the second at Auckland District Court. I like to think of them as visual reminders of gender equality. One of the judges said RBG was giving him her stern look, like a Jewish mother-in-law. I call that a success.
Rest in power, RBG.
1. Justice
2. Dissent
Feminist Collage Workshop at
A dynamic, hands-on workshop of an intuitive collage-making process inspired by feminist themes. Through the selection of images, colours, and textures, we will challenge dominant narratives, reclaim the female gaze, and construct powerful visual stories that celebrate resistance, identity, and self-determination.
This workshop invites creative experimentation and personal expression—no prior experience is needed, only curiosity and a willingness to explore, disrupt, and create.
Open to all individuals aged 15 and up.
Studio One Toi Tū.
Saturday 23 Aug, 10am-2pm
https://www.studioone.org.nz/courses/
10 July 2025
Feature in Your Home & Garden Magazine
Thrilled to be featured in the current Your Home & Garden magazine’s Woman We Love section.
24 June 2025
CONNECTION Group Show at Kumeu Arts
The CONNECTION Creative Connections podcast (previously Creative Matters) group show is coming up at Kumeu Arts.
We are more than 60 participating artists working in various mediums.
The Connection group show - from 23 June until 19 July at Kumeu Arts.
Gallery hours are Tues-Fri 9-5, Sat 10-4.
6 June 2025