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Butterfly Painting Workshops
Paint Your Own NZ Native Butterfly: Create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind butterfly on specially prepared aluminium, then take it home to enjoy indoors or outdoors
Upcoming workshops - Dates to be confirmed
Please register your interest with Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre - click here
Venue: Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
Duration: Approximately 3 hours 10 minutes
Maximum participants: 15
Cost: $230 per person
Come along and spend a few creative hours painting your very own native-inspired butterfly, while enjoying a relaxed and welcoming workshop at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.
These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone who enjoys nature, creativity and the satisfaction of making something beautiful with their own hands. No previous painting experience is necessary — I’ll guide you through each step, from creating your design through to painting your finished butterfly.
Course Introduction
This fun and creative workshop combines art and conversation as you paint your own 30cm-wide, rust-resistant aluminium butterfly inspired by a New Zealand native species.
Two workshops are available: the NZ Red Admiral (kahukura) and the NZ Yellow Admiral (kōwhaiwhai).
Using high-quality, non-toxic Resene exterior-grade paints, I'll guide you step by step through painting process. You can either replicate the natural colours and patterns of the species or creating their own artistic interpretation with these colours.
Your finished butterfly is durable and suitable for displaying indoors or outdoors, including wet areas such as a bathroom or laundry, or outside on a garden fence or the exterior of your home.
What's included
Your workshop fee includes:
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Professionally prepared 3mm aluminium butterfly
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Etched and powder-coated finish
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Welded hanging bracket and stainless steel mounting screws
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Transfer paper and drawing materials
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Brushes and premium Resene paints
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All cleaning materials
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Step-by-step guidance throughout the workshop
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A cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits
What you'll learn
You’ll be introduced to some of the basics of working with acrylic paint, including drying times and how different colours are used for various parts of your butterfly.
You’ll also learn how to use two brush types and explore the effects each brush can create by testing them on paper.
If you’re new to painting, I’ll show you how to clean and care for your brushes so you can get the most from them.
Throughout the workshop, we’ll work through each stage of painting your butterfly, including:
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Learning a design transfer technique.
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Brush loading and paint coverage.
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How to avoid an overly thick paint application, how to achieve a smooth finish.
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Brush work techniques including colour blending, blocking, fine line work, layering techniques and feathering.
What you'll create and take home
At the end of the workshop, you'll take home your own unique native inspired butterfly, ready to display indoors or outdoors.
Made from 3mm thick aluminium, your butterfly is professionally deburred, etched and powder-coated, making it rust-resistant, durable and well suited to outdoor display in New Zealand conditions.
A welded aluminium hanging bracket is attached to the back, and stainless steel screws are provided so you can install your finished artwork at home.
Supporting conservation
I'm passionate about connecting creativity with conservation, and I’m delighted that these workshops are being held at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.
A portion of every workshop fee will support Pūkaha’s ongoing conservation work.