I have always loved creating. Growing up, without fail I asked for a new set of pencils. From making puppets, studying trees and sketching birds, I found myself drawing inspiration from nature. Following high school, I completed a Bachelors of Visual Arts in Fine Art at the Queensland College of Art, majoring in Painting in 1998.
Following many years of overseas travel, I ventured down a new path as an Early Childhood Teacher. Despite the travel, balancing a career and creating a family, I never stopped being inspired to make and create. Now, my passion once again is painting.
It’s difficult to surmise what my current pieces are about. I believe my work is rather like a diary. It’s only with time and reflection that I really can understand why I move onto a particular subject matter. I have however always held a strong interest in representing women authentically, women that are strong, vulnerable, resilient, determined and above all real. Over time, constructed social and political barriers have disconnected our innate connection with nature. The impact it has on who we are is also a reoccurring interest.
My process involves both play and structured painting. I use acrylic paints and create ‘poured skins’ which creates and organic flow of colours, a return to nature in a man made world. Incorporating acrylic skins into my work allows me the freedom to play with colour and let nature take the lead. I then paint ‘into’ the skins when developing my portraits/figures.
