Artists and Artisans

Paul and Robyn have owned and operated Mana Jade for forty years and have been cutting the highest quality Jade (Greenstone)for all this time. They are very proud to be one of the few companies that are 100% New Zealand made. Paul and Robyn specialise in contemporary New Zealand jewellery, cut from Jade, Paua Shell and the volcanic rock Basalt.

Joyce was born and educated in Gloucestershire England. She is currently studying for a diploma in art and creativity with TLC Wellington, yes at 75 years old! She has painted birds (which are her passion) and has branched out into other work including wine labels, pets and larger works. Watercolours and acrylic are her main choice but she also uses pencil, graphite and homemade charcoal. We used her lovely delicate watercolour paintings of some Manuka flowers for our Manuka Honey Lip Balm tin lid.

Astrid Raats is based in Dunedin in the South Island and creates beautiful paintings of our native New Zealand birds; two of which adorn the header for this website. The Tui on Flax on our shoulder bag is also painted by Astrid.

Monique Endt is a well known and talented artist from Auckland. She has won numerous awards and has been painting since she was a child. She is inspired by the beauty and richness of New Zealand's landscape, flora and fauna, and God. Her favourite artists are Gustave Dore, Ainsley Roberts, Raymond Ching, Dali, Waterhouse.

Monique paints on large canvases in oil and acrylic and most of her works have an element of peace and realism but some have something different or surreal. She has been teaching painting classes and weekend workshops for many years and has enjoyed watching how her students grow in their artistic endeavors.

Jan and Geoff Speeden have been making and selling their herbal ointments, and living in the Hawkes Bay for 30 years now. Their first ointments were made from wild herbs in Soya Bean Oil and Beeswax, and were sold in recycled jars at local markets.

Kerry Fenton-Johns is a landscape, plant life and still life artist living in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Kerry is fascinated with the contrast of light and dark and natures use of subtle tones, the softness and harshness of light vying for attention with shadows that taunt the clouds that race by.

When painting landscapes, she is drawn in by the background of what lies beyond. Images of what might have gone before shape the intricate detail of what is tangible and glimpsed in a moment, but not easily forgotten.

Kerry painted the Koru that is reproduced on the tile on the left.

Malcolm Warr has a great body of work spanning over 30 years and paints in watercolours and other media. We used this beautiful painting of "Kapiti, Tui and Flax" on the little tin lid of our Harakeke Lip Balm.

Sarah is from Los Angeles and studied studio art. She has had several very successful exhibitions featuring similar surreal images to her "Kiwifruit" that we used on our Kiwifruit Lip Balm.