Di discovered her passion and deep love for art at a very young age. As a child she would constantly be drawing and loved any chance to display her creativity. She also has a profound love for music. However, as a young adult, Di found herself steered into the world of corporate which meant her love for drawing was overshadowed and put on the back burner. Later in life, Di finally changed direction to become a certified wellness coach, supporting clients in finding their true purpose and passions. 'Tell me, what did you love doing most as a child?' …It was time to ask herself the same question.
Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Di has enjoyed living in Australia with her family since 2012. Her first eight years were spent in Melbourne but she now lives in sunny Gold Coast. Di’s been painting full time now for two years and although mainly self-taught, she’s developed many skills from a variety of resources and has also attended Gold Coast Art School to develop her techniques.
She enjoys having variety and diversity in her life, and this shines through in her contemporary artwork. Di’s an abstract artist but doesn't want to be labelled under one style. She feels it’d be difficult to express herself authentically using only one signature design. She loves to experiment using acrylic paint, pastels, acrylic pen, and pencils. Her additional love for music has played an extremely important role in her paintings. She constantly listens to her favourite songs while working on her art and finds both the melody and lyrics provide her with inspiration in her work.
Whilst her love for bright bold colours shines through, she also adores the simplicity of neutral shades. She easily shifts from one to the other, taking direction from her mood and emotions. “I may think I know what the finished work will look like, but I tend to end up on a journey where everything starts moving in a different direction. I've learnt to just go with the flow and I find it exciting to watch the transformations that evolve before reaching the finished piece of work.”
At times she finds it difficult to put her process into words, or detail exactly where her inspiration comes from. “ I maybe feel art can't be explained sufficiently in words. Its influence on people is very personal, it speaks to us visually, not by word of mouth. It’s important to let go of the need to put things into words and just let the artwork take you somewhere, feel the emotion.”
Di is now living her best life, finally doing exactly what she feels she was meant to be doing - creating artwork for both herself and others to love and enjoy.