Natural Bridge

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I am a christian portrait and landscape artist who loves spending time with my family, growing my own produce on our small acreage in Benaraby, Queensland, painting with acrylics En Plein Air and capturing the heart of my subjects. I am also a passionate visual arts and ESL teacher.

I first "became" an artist when I was a teenager. There was an "aha!" moment when my art teacher thought that I was handing in the work of my very talented mother, claiming it to be my own. That moment fostered my desire to be an artist and to be an art educator. However, I started my formal education in art much later. As many of you might know, the need to pay the bills can often override the need to explore your creativity. So it wasn't until I was nearing 40 and after a career as a registered nurse, marriage and three children that I finally pursued my passion and completed my degrees in Fine Art and Education.
I love to focus on the play of light and colour in both my landscape and portraits as I constantly aim to highlight the essence of my subjects. Because of this, I love to experiment with an array of different colours and media. I'm even hankering to have a go at creating raku fired ceramics from self-dug and prepared clay. We have recently moved onto a small property on the central coast of Queensland that lies on a very deep clay pan, so I certainly have enough raw material to get me going!
I also have plenty of inspiration for my landscapes in this beautifully rugged part of the world. I find great joy heading off on the school holidays with some smaller canvases to paint the blessings I have at my back door. From drought and floods and waterfalls to streetscapes and native flora and fauna, there is always an abundant supply of resources to whet the creative appetite. These smaller canvases will often make their way into larger works that keep the essence of the en plein air experience, while adding that finesse that comes with studio practice.
I am represented in private collections in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan and Gladstone and my works have been shown in Gladstone, Redlands, Brisbane and Logan Art Galleries.