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Haunani Pao

@nanicured

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I create, I experiment, I got something to say.
#PracticeMakesPermanent

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Here’s my complete set of #botanicalbeasties2026 prompts, starting with Prompt 1: Deer & Dahlia — Hāta & Teiria in te reo Māori (Māori language). I had to get them all done because I really enjoyed this challenge! I don’t always get the chance to do this kind of art exploration, and I was definitely challenged by drawing so many different animals. I stared at a lot of reference photos and filled pages in my sketchbook, bringing ideas together before creating each piece.

One thing I really enjoyed was giving myself some design constraints to create consistency across the whole set: a poster-style format, a stipple technique, and a limited neutral palette of black and white. That meant I could focus more on the story of each prompt and complete the prompt.

Now for the best part: checking out all the art from the other participants and seeing how everyone approached their own stories. And I definitely want to revisit these posters and experiment with colour and improve my storytelling. Always practicing. ✍🏽

Thank you to the Botanical Beasties hosts:

@care2c
@lack.studio
@amylizzi.art
@megpieprint
@kim_ko_design
@katie_oshea_design
@jillian.nichole.illustration
@heathermuellerdesign

#illustrations #drawing #art #community by @nanicured

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5 days ago

I’m continuing with my posters of the #botanicalbeasties2026 prompts. This is prompt 2 : Hare & Dandelion, which is “Hea & Tohetake” in Te reo Māori (Māori Language). In Aotearoa, soft, cuddly rabbits were introduced up until the 1860s for fur and meat, but the 1880s they were considered a pest. Of course, my garden is full of dandelions, sometimes when the wind blows, they are a menace, but delightful to look at!

Botantical Beasties Hosts:

@care2c
@lack.studio
@amylizzi.art
@megpieprint
@kim_ko_design
@katie_oshea_design
@jillian.nichole.illustration
@heathermuellerdesign

#illustrations #drawing #art #community by @nanicured

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6 days ago

I’m continuing with my posters of the #botanicalbeasties2026 prompts. This is prompt 4 : Hedgehog & Mushroom, which is “Hetiheti and Harare” in Te reo Māori (Māori Language). In the summertime of Aotearoa/NZ, sometimes the Hedgies come into my garden to look around, find things to eat and mate loudly. I always give them food and water because they are cute af and I want to keep them safe.

Botantical Beasties Hosts:

@care2c
@lack.studio
@amylizzi.art
@megpieprint
@kim_ko_design
@katie_oshea_design
@jillian.nichole.illustration
@heathermuellerdesign

#illustrations #drawing #art #community by @nanicured

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9 days ago

I got it together to contribute to the #botanicalbeasties2026 challenge, starting in the middle. I realised that I’ve been drawing alot of faces and cats, perhaps cat faces and not enough practice on flowers or all kinds of beasts. So I began with research and drawing in my notebook get a feel for it. I have been drawing posters for places around Aotearoa, and decided to use that to draw some fantastical beasts. And I had fun trying out this “stipple” technique which gives an opportunity to practice techniques.

Prompt 3 : Starling & Blackberry, which is Tāringi and Parakipere in Te reo Māori (Māori Language). The starling was introduced to Aotearoa / NZ in the 1874, probably hitching a ride on a human ship. It’s quite a beautiful bird.

Botantical Beasties Hosts:

@care2c
@lack.studio
@amylizzi.art
@megpieprint
@kim_ko_design
@katie_oshea_design
@jillian.nichole.illustration
@heathermuellerdesign

#illustrations #drawing #art by @nanicured

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12 days ago

It was a #caterday so I made a lunar kitty in #procreate. Keeping with my love of the universe and night sky, I enjoyed using colours I like for a sweet black cat. I watched some videos from the @twotap.art and used a few techniques described by @stefankunz and @artworkbygabrielle. I think I will bring this into #procreatedreams and see what I can do as well, perhaps with another space study I started but didn't finish. #artlife of too much #WIP.

#practicemakespermanent #artist #catlover taken in Auckland Region by @nanicured

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19 days ago

Like everyone around the world, I am sad to see the passing of great artists like @dollyparton, who I knew and liked because she's a sweet, funny treasure, who was always cool to watch and hear her tell her stories. It been amazing to learn details about her from people all over the world, from all types of backgrounds and all with love and admiration. It felt like the world celebrated her life. There was so many things that I learned about such as the Imagination Library, or that she used her capital to support people in need or ideas like supporting a vaccine. It's incredible to see the world show their love for such a dynamic, charming, witty, woman. She represents the very best creative human imho. And she loved cats! 🐈🐈‍⬛

As a gen X child, I don't know her early country hits, but I knew who she was because of her pop songs, particularly that "Islands in the Stream" because I'm sure my parents liked that song, it was always on the radio. I have not seen "9 to 5" or some of her other films because I was too young to see in the cinema, but I will look for those films and fill up on her glory. For now, watching interviews on Youtube works well.

And like everyone, I used art to process that sadness, practice drawing faces, which is always challenging around the eyes and nose plus show a little love to her. There were so many images shared on social media and I picked one to draw, and I love her big hair, I found it relaxing to just draw texture in her big hair. I hope big hair comes back in style because it definitely reflexed a period of time in American music. I did alright with paper and pencil, because it's always nice to do that analog art. But I'm taking this image and go have a play in procreate and see what else happens.

Until next time.

#art #practicemakespermanent #dollyparton #drawing #drawingEyesAreHard by @nanicured

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a month ago

I tried something new with #cyanotype, but I made it with turmeric spice and isopropyl alcohol mixture, and flowers from my anniversary bouquet. We've been suffering with glorious sunny winter weather, and I had to take advantage and see what I came up with. After letting the watercolour paper sunbathe under a glass panel, I rinsed it off in a water + baking soda bath and there you go. lovely orange and yellows. I used a prismacolour pencil #poppyred to add in some flair to one of them. I haven't decided what to do with the other one yet.

I will check out some other techniques and give them a try. It's lovely to do in this New Zealand winter time. by @nanicured

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a month ago

I’m into space exploration and making my own #nebula #art with #posca markers. I basically used fingertips, like finger-painting with my inner child. I will keep on making space art, kinda in my headspace right now.

#practicemakespermanent by @nanicured

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2 months ago

I had a little time to draw an abstract sunset on the beach. Created with acrylic posca and molotow markers in my Leuchtterm 1917 notebook. going analog ftw. an abstract sunset created by acrylic markers on paper. traditional art by @nanicured

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2 months ago

Sometimes I get a chance to draw with #molotow acrylic markers and I always seem to pick the neons. ;)

purrrfect gngr by @nanicured

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4 months ago

I've been working on my portfolio, a proper simple webpage that tells a little bit of my story as a designer in the tech scene. And with the fabulous Artemis II adventure to the moon, I was feeling like I wanted to make something for my portfolio. I love Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night and at first, I started with that idea in mind but as I went along, I came up with something a little more graphic and me, with #Rangitoto, #Matariki and the ever beautiful #Kamahina, the moon those astronauts visited with a flyby.

It was good to get into a groove and come up with something that clearly says something about this part of the world.

And since I did this in procreate, I can share a wee bit the process and continue to see what I end up with. I put this image on my portfolio site that I created and I hope you check it out. :)

Link in the bio : https://haunanipao-github-io.vercel.app/

Enjoy!!

#Procreate #CreativeJourney #Impressionism #graphic #DigitalArt #Auckland #Portfolio #Process My digital art process to make taken in Rangitoto Island by @nanicured

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6 months ago

A month ago, I stumbled into the creative goodness of @theworkshopweek for #WorkshopWeek2025—a global week of virtual art workshops from artists all over the world. It’s been running for 5 years, and it’s a brilliant space to experiment with all kinds of analog art—watercolour, acrylics, calligraphy, sketching, collage, digital, you name it.

One session that really stayed with me was a mindfulness workshop by the mellifluous @pascribe. It was about connecting your breath to your marks on the page—especially those sweet little swings that add flair to a letter. When layered with other strokes, they lift a word into something special.

I learned cursive back in 2nd grade, and writing by hand used to be a big part of how I organized my thoughts—essays, notes, letters. These days, I’m mostly digital, and I rarely get the chance to slow down and feel that analog flow of pencil to paper.

This session was a gentle reset. Just an hour of breathing and making marks—seeing what came out. Notes from a Mindfulness session by Paul Antonio at Workshop Week 2025. All about art around the world. by @nanicured

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a year ago