Inspired by her mothers love for art and language , Irene , from the age of 3, filled sketchbooks with drawings of fairies, mermaids and characters from books . This fascination with the female form has continued to be the focus for Irene’s art today. She has placed the greatest emphasis on the face with the eyes connecting their story to the viewer.
Irene studied Art for 3 years at the Albany TAFE concentrating on drawing, design and watercolour. She then taught herself to use acrylics and oils and developed a love for gold leaf.. Her love of drawing also lead to her illustrating several children’s picture books.
Art is a story in Irene’s family. Robert William Buss an ancestor on Irene’s mothers side painted a large watercolour of Dickens but sadly died in 1875 before it was completed. The painting now hangs in the Dickens Museum in London. Many other relatives painted lovely oil paintings and Irene’s mother a child group settler tells stories of how she and her sisters fought to find paper to draw on.
Irene also spent many years teaching art to young children , but now in retirement spends her time on her own work.