Kim Filshie Art

My Story

Artist, illustrator. Nelson, New Zealand.

Kia ora,

Ko Kim toku ingoa,

No Whakatu ahau.

My name is Kim, and I live in Nelson, in the South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand.


I have always had an interest in art and in drawing, but work and family have kept me busy. Three years ago, with our family all grown up, and with the support of my partner, I made the decision to take a leap, cut back on my working hours, and make art much more of a focus. I now spend my time balancing working by contract, spending time with my grandchildren, and painting and illustrating. I think that to create, you need a physical space and substantial blocks of time, and this is something that I now have!

I have always had a fascination with visual images and with storytelling. Some of my earliest memories are of the beautiful illustrations in the storybooks that I enjoyed as a child. What I love the most I think about children’s picture book art, is the way in which emotions are conveyed and the visual images tell so much of the story. Bringing up my children has been an absolute joy and has led me down a career path in early childhood education. I love that children view the world ‘as new’, and I hope that this child’s eye view comes through in my work.


Living in the Nelson, Tasman region, surrounded by the mountains, with a constantly changing view of the sea and sky, is an inspiration.

I love to walk, to climb the hills, to cycle down to the estuary or through our local park.

I enjoy seeing the changing seasons reflected in our garden and in the trees across the valley.

My partner is a sailor, and we have been on many adventures to the Abel Tasman, to Durville Island and to the Marlborough Sounds. These big skies and coastal headlands inspire much of my art- work.