Well known New Zealand artist Tom Burnett, is best known for his evocative images of Northland and the Pacific. The son of two working artists, Tom has largely been taught by his father Fassett and says he just went to school to use the art room. His paintings and screen prints capture the essence of his surroundings and lifestyle in luscious tropical tones and moods. Multi talented, Tom has also designed and built several homes for his family, built boats and designed a range of casual furniture. Tom began printing in 1981 and has since combined it with painting and drawing. They have a tropical, Pacific feel - fruit, flowers, colourful fish, oceanscapes, North coast bush with palms and ferns. Tom Burnett is a people's artist, his paintings welcoming and easy to comprehend, his statements made through clear-coloured, clear-headed Pacific environments and objects. A keen surfer and sailor Tom has always had a love of the sea and coastal New Zealand. Most of his recent work has been completed whilst living with his father in Whananaki in the Far North.

He achieves a soft effect in screenprinting by using waterbased paints on high quality, heavyweight, French cotton rag paper. Warm tropical colours and atmospheres capture Burnett’s lifestyle and surroundings of coastal Northland.