Barbara von Seida's Kowhai Watercolour Studio is Coromandel's oldest permanent Gallery, having been established in late 1990.

A multi-award winning artist, Barbara is fascinated by New Zealand's landforms with its volcanic origins, not with a thought of describing a particular place, but with expressing elemental moods and emotions.

Foremost, she considers herself a colourist and approaches her chosen subjects with the view of overstating the existing colours and light. The resulting personal images place an emphasis on originality, vitality and innovation.

In the 1960's, she spent 5 years training in formal art design specialising as a commercial artist in the German fashion print industry and since then has been a full time artist in the water media.

Her work has won her numerous awards --- most recently, in September 2010, winning the Supreme Art Award at the Franklin Arts Festival in Pukekohe. Barbara is also a past Premier Award Winner of the Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award (2009) and the North Shore City Art Award (2008), and in 2007 she was the recipient of the Royal Agricultural Society gold medallion as the most successful artist at the Auckland Royal Easter Show.

In 1993, longtime Coromandel artist, Patrick Greene, was invited to join the Gallery which proudly displays his lively and sometime whimsical portrails of Coromandel scenes. Like Barbara, Patrick has received many accolades for his artwork at art competitions.

Artists