Mine, isn’t your classic artist story. I wasn’t born with a paintbrush in my hand. In fact, as a child and young adult (and older adult) I showed little promise.
Then, I got to my mid/late forties, around the age when you stop giving a fig about what other people think. I went to an art class near my home on a whim and made a discovery. I can paint!
I often refer to this time as “When I found out I could paint”. Seems strange that this was locked up in me all that time. My life has two eras. Before Painting and After Painting. I’m now 5 years into my After Painting era and feel like a different person.
I see life through different eyes. Everything I look at, I see light and shadow, colour and hues. When I see a sunset, an ocean, a rock, flowing water, still water, reflections, I think about how I would paint it. I spend more time thinking about painting than actually doing. I love painting and my new perspective. And I want others to enjoy my labour of love. I hope you do.
I guess my love of seascapes comes from growing up in the Queensland coastal town, Hervey Bay. The ocean is part of me and I feel like, wherever I live, I can’t be too far from the coast. Even if I don’t go to the beach, I have to know it’s nearby.