I grew up in an era when women were expected to marry young and lead a fairly domesticated life. Roughly following that path while working for decades in public health, I occasionally bought some art materials and painted a few pictures before quickly thinking I didn’t have time for art. Ten years ago I decided to explore visual art through a TAFE course and after 2 weeks I left paid work, finding a group of women with the same urge to do what we’ve spent too many years quietly supressing. We’re still making art together.
In 2021 I completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts/Visual Arts at the University of Wollongong. One of the best aspects of this course was the acceptance shown by the other students – almost young enough to be my grandchildren – as we worked together. My final body of work explored materiality via found objects, acrylic paint and digital collage, and how the art world has defined and valued artworks made from various materials over time.
When asked about my favourite medium I can’t give a clear answer as I continue to explore ways of making art. Currently I’m using the photographs I’ve taken over many years as source material for what may appear to be abstract works, but are often realistic depictions of the details which appeal to me. Another way of using my photos is to create digital collages for printing on a diverse range of surfaces including paper and metal.
Art always works for me in so many ways that I remain grateful for the time I now have to devote to it.