Philippa Murray-Aynsley, known as Pip, is a self-taught photorealism portrait artist working in black and white oils. Based in Mangawhai Heads with her husband, she specialises in capturing people and animals with striking realism and depth. Raised in a family of artists, Pip explored a range of mediums before discovering her passion for monochrome portraiture, initially in acrylics and later in fast-drying alkyd oils, prized for their smooth blending qualities.

Pip believes black and white best reveals a subject’s true character, allowing personality and emotion to take centre stage. Working from photographs on commission, her portraits typically take around three weeks to complete, with particular attention paid to fine detail—especially the eyes, where each painting begins. Her work has been recognised with multiple People’s Choice awards, including at the Mangawhai Art Society Exhibition and the Kaipara Art Awards. Deeply aware of the emotional significance many portraits hold, Pip approaches each commission with care, aiming to create lasting artworks that honour memory, connection, and individuality.