Paula Cunniffe ancestors’ first sailed into Nelson Harbour in 1842 aboard the Lloyds. She is a sixth generation New Zealander of Irish and Shetland Island descent, descending from many women artists in her maternal line.

 

The youngest of three children, Paula showed an aptitude for art and writing from an early age. She attended Grove Street Kindergarten, Tasman Street School as a new primary entrant, Nelson Central School, Nelson Intermediate and Nelson College for Girls.

 

Upon leaving school at 16, she began working for Trathens Department Store selling women’s fashion clothing, also co-ordinating and illustrating the stores fashion advertisements for the Nelson Mail.

 

At 17, she took offer of employment with the Nelson Mail, designing advertising campaigns and writing copy whilst working alongside clients. She continued working with commercial graphic design both for the newspaper as well as freelance.

 

Paula took maternity leave and married at 21, returning to work part-time with the Nelson Mail. After the birth of her second child and the end of her marriage, she left to devote her time to raising her children.

 

When her youngest child began school, Paula returned to study at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. With an interest in psychology and human behaviour, she gained an advanced certificate in Psychotherapeutic Studies and Behavioural Sciences which she felt gave her insight into the development and raising of her two children.

 

Suffering from serious health problems while juggling motherhood, she all but abandoned her creativity. However, the constant pull to express it saw her return to NMIT to study a Certificate in Visual Arts in 2000, resulting in the improvement of her health. Having been inspired to do more, she consequently went on to gain a Bachelor of Visual Arts majoring in painting, completing four consecutive years of full-time study.

 

During 2002, she also took up the position as editor of the NZ Wedding Planner, an online service for brides planning their weddings in New Zealand.

 

Paula, who is now 35, concentrates on painting and creating art full-time at home while raising her two teenage children. She continues to write for the NZ Wedding Planner as well as doing free-lance graphic design and other creative services. Occasionally you’ll find an art review written by Paula in the Wednesday Arts page of the Nelson Mail.