Atea. Gallery and Cafe
Phone 236‑8388. Email:

 Fine art, fine company, fine coffee, fine food.  Tuakau now has an art gallery where you can enjoy international award winning investment art along with great cappuccinos. 

Hi. My name is Jane Crosbie. I have been an artist for over 40 years. All my life I've wanted to open my own art gallery and teach people the joy of art. My gallery and cafe is called Atea, the Maori word for heaven, because after a lifetime of dreaming of living full‑time as an artist my dream has finally come true and it feels like everyday I live in heaven.

My passion for art is legendary. I have held 2 international major art exhibitions and one major art exhibition in NZ as well as many smaller shows. My paintings are in major Middle Eastern royal family art collections as well as owned by ordinary folk the world over. I am the only artist in Australasia and one of the few artists in the world ever personally invited to exhibit for Arab royalty in the Middle East all expenses paid!

My husband too who displays his stainless steel sculptures at Atea Gallery is‑an international award winning artist ‑ in fact the only person in the world to win the most prestigious stainless steel awards in the world twice! I love teaching people to paint. Especially teaching people to walk on the wild side and unleash their own passionate creativity. Of all the gifts life holds art is the most wonderful.

Art is a powerful force in ones life once unleashed. Art has a profound effect on the human soul, the human mind and spirit, on human emotions. Art has such a powerful capacity to increase your confidence, and unleash joy and happiness in your life.

How can 1 describe what it's like to be an artist and live in heaven? The great artist Pissaro once said that every stroke of his paint brush was the beat of his heart. That's what art makes you feel. Alive and passionate and so in love with life. The best art comes from the heart. Art is the language of the heart. When you paint that is what you express. Your deepest emotions in your personal language that belongs to you alone. Art is how we share who and what we are as people inside. The art inside your heart is the most precious gift life holds.
So if you want to learn how to paint and unleash that most precious of gifts come to Atea ‑ heaven ‑ and lets talk art.

At Atea 1 offer art classes, run art clubs, and sell art supplies as well as art, cappuccinos and meals. I also take private bookings. People who want to celebrate their birthdays with real class and style book my gallery to enjoy a beautiful meal and a private art show especially staged for their friends and family.

I also sell heirloom quality investment art. Are you mystified by the investment art market? Don't be. Ask yourself 2 questions.

First of all ask about the quality of materials the artist uses. I prepare my own canvases with at least 3 coats of primer and gesso. I visited the National and Tate Galleries in London to view my favorite artist Turners works  and saw his paintings looking just as brilliant and vibrant now as the day they were painted over 200 years ago. Using the same brand of paint Turner used I can guarantee the quality of my paint and my paintings longevity.

The second question to ask is how  seriously has the artist invested in their own art? Do they have their own art gallery or web‑site? Is their work in any major international art collections? Have they organized major international art exhibitions?

If your answer is no to these questions then your artist has not invested enough work in their own art to make them a viable investment. I have. On the internet and in my own gallery I work hard to promote my art, your investment, in major art exhibitions and art collections internationally.

My hard work is evidence I am protecting your investment in my art. Why settle for less quality? If you're interested in learning art, or joining my art clubs, or buying art supplies or looking for the perfect gift this Xmas come see me. Atea Gallery and Cafe ‑ across the road from Tuakau Dealers and Traders. I am also available for portrait commissions of your pets and loved ones ‑ the perfect Xmas gift.

Thank you to all those who supported me over the last year ‑ who allow me to live in heaven and give that love back in my classes.