Growing up in Sydney, I was drawing and painting from an early age, and began to learn art basics from teach-yourself books at the age of 9. In my teens I was already sketching quite professional portraits and animals, and I was encouraged to make art my career. This meant a course in graphic design, but barely half-way through it I realized that I did not want to draw or paint to someone else’s expectations and deadlines. I quit the course, deciding to keep art as a hobby while pursuing other work and goals.
Over the years, I continued to develop my artistic skills as a hobby through tutorials and online courses, learning watercolour, acrylic and then oil painting techniques. Although I experimented with various styles and subject matter, I always returned to my first love: portraits and people in a realistic and traditional style.
In 2011, I moved from Sydney to the lovely town of Tumut in the Snowy Valleys region, where I promptly joined the local art society. As an active member of the committee for a short time, I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience assisting in the running of the annual Tumut Art Show, as well as learning further artistic skills from the fabulous and talented local artists. It was in this environment of the Tumut Art Society that I really began to thrive and flourish, attending various workshops and exhibiting my paintings.
One of the workshops hosted by the Tumut Art Society was a Life Drawing class with a nude model, and I instantly felt that I had found my niche as an artist. Sketching and painting nudes combines my love of portraiture and traditional, classical art. Since 2021, I have focussed on mastering the art of painting the human form, experimenting with different colour combinations to create mood and atmosphere. While I am thrilled with my accomplishments so far, I can see a long and rewarding artistic journey still ahead!
