Article Photo

Brea Snider shows her talent and flair through her colourful plant pots

18 Jan 2023

You’ll be hard ‘pot’ to miss Brea’s colourful designs. From minimal to detailed, she has found her creative outlet through using Resene paints and products to make these wonderful one-of-a-kind pieces.

Based in Christchurch, Brea opened her business Petrichor NZ as a way of getting back into art. Beginning as a hobby, Brea found her way back to painting through personalising plant pots and designing unique styles for living green friends to live in. Brea has had a tough couple of years and found art a great outlet for creativity and to keep her busy while not being able to go back to work.

“I've recently reconnected to painting and art,” says Brea. “Over the last couple of years I have unfortunately suffered from several chronic pain conditions and being unable to work I turned to art as an outlet, as well as a way I can help support my household.”

“I would describe my style as minimalist, clean but with some character. Although there is the odd piece I put more details into, I prefer the aesthetic of a simple clean piece.”

 

Brea’s stunning pot, the Purple Mountain design, is painted with Resene Charlotte, Resene Biloba Flower, Resene Seance, Resene Daisy Bush and Resene Blackcurrant. 

Artist Brea finds a lot of her inspiration in pop culture and other people's hobbies and passions. Although she loves making batch work, her favourites are commissions she does for others because of the fun ideas people come up with.

“People have some really funny ideas. My most popular pot ended up becoming a regular after a commission. I never thought I'd make a chicken pot and now I've made enough to fill a shelf!”

Brea says that she loves the extensive variety of colour that Resene offers. The Resene testpots give her the perfect amount she need for her projects and then if a colour is popular enough she is able to get a larger size to suit her needs. 

The force will be with you with this Star Wars design. Brea painted this using Resene Black and used silver to add the details.

“My favourite colour would be Resene Rock Spray because I love a good orange. Second favourite would be Resene Palm Green as it's just such a gorgeous deep green,” Brea tells.

For her materials, Brea always opts for terracotta pots and saucers with Resene paint colours, and a clear coat to keep them looking fresh. She then uses a handful of different paintbrushes to make out the shapes and designs she needs.

Brea offers one of a kind commission pieces to clients, where she sits down to get all the details she needs before beginning, such as colour schemes and style. She will begin with a base colour, then after this has dried she works her magic and creates a one-of-a-kind pot for her lucky client.

“If I’m making something in my own time, I usually play with a few ideas with pencil and then start to paint afterwards. While I paint I also like to listen to music or a video on YouTube, it helps me get in the zone,” Brea says.

One of Brea’s most colourful pieces is her Quilt pot, using a complete assortment of colours including Resene Niagara, Resene Irresistible, Resene Endeavour, Resene Buttercup, Resene Daisy Bush, Resene Crusoe, Resene Fahrenheit, Resene Hot Chile, Resene Bright Red and Resene Tuscany.

Although there are many to choose from, Brea’s favourite piece she has made is the multi-coloured Quilt pot. She made this for her grandmother in law. “It has so much character and it was fun to make all of the different panels,” she says.

Brea hopes to turn her business into a full time job one day so she can do something she loves and support her health and chronic pain. She hopes to expand her business into repurposing old furniture creating décor for homes - so keep your eyes peeled for some new creations coming in the future.

Check out more of Brea’s work on Instagram: www.instagram.com/petrichor.nz/

Top tip:

If you are painting terracotta pots at home, always make sure you coat the pot inside and out with Resene Aquapel and Terracotta Sealer. This will help to seal the pot and help avoid the moisture travelling through the pot and blistering off the paint.

The nature inspired Green Mountain pot is painted in Resene Seeker, Resene Rivergum, Resene Greenhouse, Resene Forest Green and Resene Palm Green.

Published: 18 Jan 2023