Jocelyn Friis
Visual Artist
Mangawhai, Northland
My semi-abstract land and seascape paintings are driven from a desire to explore the connection between creativity and nature and its profound ability to heal us. Rather than referencing a particular view or scene, they emerge from a deep place in my imagination.
I use acrylic and encaustic mediums, which facilitate my spontaneous free flowing style. Acrylics suit my fast moving way of painting, while I embrace the ancient integrity of working with hot wax. Beginning with loose, unplanned, uninhibited marks and colours, I allow pure intuition and emotion to guide the canvas. This organic phase is deeply inspired by time spent in nature, where I absorb the energy of my surroundings and subconsciously transfer those emotions onto the canvas. As the piece develops, a shift occurs from raw expression to thoughtful refinement, where I assess elements like composition, balance, values, and color relationships, and work to bring the painting into a harmonious conclusion. My approach embraces both instinct and structure, trusting the creative flow while thoughtfully guiding the piece to completion, inviting viewers to feel the emotional depth and natural inspiration woven into every layer.
My art is a gentle nudge to pause a while, and to reflect on how we can bring peace, hope and contentment to our lives. I strongly believe in the healing power of art - for both the artist and the viewer. Art can express what words often cannot, opening space for connection, reflection, and personal growth. I wish for the viewer to feel a personal connection with my paintings, whether it’s a memory, an emotion, or a resonating message, often drawing attention to metaphors that mirror the complexities of the human experience. Through my work, I share the message that art is for everyone and that engaging with both creativity and nature can foster peace and harmony.
Original Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 760×760mm
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
This painting, unplanned and intuitive, is an expression of my surroundings. Living in Mangawhai, in New Zealand’s north island, we have a beautiful estuary with unique sand dunes, alongside the ocean beach. It is my take on this beautiful corner of the world.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
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Personalised interest-free payment plans are available on selected artworks.
Original Encaustic Wax Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 460×610mm
Material: Encaustic Wax on timber board
Warm earthy tones weave through textured layers of wax. A well worn path leads into the distant landscape, suggesting the subtle marks left by time, movement, and transformation. The work reflects how change unfolds gently, leaving traces that guide us forward.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Collect with Confidence
Personalised interest-free payment plans are available on selected artworks.
Original Encaustic Wax Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 300×300mm
Material: Encaustic Wax on timber board
This work hints at the transient state of our lives, continuously evolving, mirrored by both nature and the creative process of working with hot wax. Layer upon layer of hot beeswax brings forth subtle changes, or sometimes more bold changes. Never idle, the surface adds interest and excitement, just as the everchanging state of our natural world awakens our senses.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Collect with Confidence
Personalised interest-free payment plans are available on selected artworks.
Original Encaustic Wax Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 300×300mm
Material: Encaustic Wax on timber board
Sweeping movements of blue, green, and soft white unfold across the surface like distant hills exhaling and settling into quiet harmony. This semi-abstract landscape suggests the gentle arrival after a long passage - a moment of relief, reflection, and accomplishment.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Collect with Confidence
Personalised interest-free payment plans are available on selected artworks.
Original Encaustic Wax Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 150×150mm
Framed Dimension: 200×200mm
Material: Encaustic Wax on timber board
Sunset colours and rustic marks reveal the highs and lows of a life lived to the full. It contains mistakes made and lessons learnt, but ultimately gratitude and awe at the gift of a new day.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Original Encaustic Wax Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 150×150mm
Framed Dimension: 200×200mm
Material: Encaustic Wax on timber board
Soft green-blue tones drift across the surface, suggesting the quiet language of the sea. Textured areas of foamy movement meet smooth, still passages of wax, echoing the shifting rhythms of the shoreline.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Original Painting by Jocelyn Friis
Mangawhai, Northland
Artwork Dimensions: 610×610mm
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
Sometimes we need a little comfort in this life of uncertainty and stress. Both to ask for and give support are necessities.This painting is a reminder that there is a time (and its ok) to lean on others and receive, whilst other times to be that one holding a hand can be life changing. Be the love in the world you'd like to see.
Jocelyn Friis, a New Zealand-based painter, creates semi abstract land and seascapes out of her coastal home studio in rural Mangawhai. Using acrylic and encaustic mediums, she explores the seemingly contrasting themes of the resilience and vulnerability of nature, mirroring it to our human condition. Jocelyn's artistic journey has been marked by exploration and self-study. Growing up on a small holding in Cape Town, South Africa, she experienced precious freedoms such as regularly riding her horses on the peninsula's unspoiled white beaches and spending endless hours savouring the outdoors.
Awakened by her Steiner education, she learnt to appreciate creativity in nature, which inspired her direction in art making. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1996 opened up a doorway for her to pursue her professional art career, first joining the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa and later Mangawhai Artists Inc. Training in the areas of eco art and process art has deepened her awareness of the connections between our wellbeing, creativity and nature.
Collect with Confidence
Personalised interest-free payment plans are available on selected artworks.
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