Andrea Mae Miller is a New Zealand artist working predominantly as a Fine Art Printmaker. Born in Whangarei in 1980, she grew up living at the beach on Northland’s beautiful Tutukaka coast. Andrea obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Otago Polytechnic in 2002 and after graduation established her studio, St Peter’s Thumb, in Petone. In 2006 she spent a year living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark, taking time to explore the other side of the world, and to practise being a stranger. Now Andrea lives in Eastbourne, Lower Hutt, with her husband and two daughters. St. Peter’s Thumb Print Studio has again been established, this time out of a tower room tucked up in the bush and surrounded by Kereru and Tui.
Ko Ngunguru te whenua tupu
Ko Te Tai Tokerau te kāinga
Kei Muritai au e noho ana.
I find my inspiration in the shapes and colours of our beautiful land. Shags stand sentinel over the space between land and sea, trees reach into the space between land and sky.
We find our homes in the spaces between. We are just resting on this uneasy land, at the whims of earthquakes, storms, and sea level rises. We must find our balance, sway with coming changes, and work with nature to keep our footing.
Whales are a sign of strength through social connection, of hopeful regeneration, and migration with the seasons. They jump through the sky, just as the shags fly through the water.
My printmaking process ensures small limited editions. Each Bamboo etching is drawn by hand and printed using traditional printing processes. As the bamboo plate starts to break down, the plate cracks and crinkles, adding a unique, organic texture to the images.