Happy Hopper

This painting captures a fleeting moment witnessed shortly after sunrise at Lake Tyers. While walking on the sandy area near the lake, I noticed a small female fairy wren mid-hop, momentarily airborne with her feet dangling off to the side. The pose was so unexpected and full of character that it immediately made me smile, and I was fortunate to capture the moment in a photograph that later inspired this painting.
The background is soft and understated, painted in gentle earthy browns and warm beiges just as it was in the photo. The rising sun lights the wren from the side, creating a delicate glow along her feathers and casting a long, slender shadow across the sandy ground. I love how such a tiny bird can show so much personality. The comical mid-air hop in this minimalist image reminds me that nature often provides joy and humour if we take the time to notice.

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Painting and photography have been a long time passion of mine and provide an invaluable balance and contrast to my profession as a CPA Accountant. The Yin and the Yang!

And yes, there have been many jokes made about me being a creative accountant!

I’m a self-taught artist living in Bannockburn, Victoria. I have shown and sold art over many years mainly locally in Victoria but also throughout Australia. I have also been fortunate to win various art and photography prizes both locally and nationally. I now aim to expand my art exposure to wider markets and dedicate a larger portion of my life to the creative process…life is too short not to follow your passions!

My love of photography is where all my creative processes begin, all paintings are inspired from my own photography to ensure originality. I love to paint with the creamy richness of oil colours and impasto acrylics on stretched canvas. The end result will often depend more on my emotional state at the time of painting and the music I’m listening to, rather than a specific style or genre.

My husband and I love to camp and enjoy the calming effects of the surrounding nature. It is from these experiences that I have recently been motivated to create a collection of paintings focusing on Australian wildlife. I strive to capture the unique personalities of the wildlife in my works and find it exhilarating when the subject’s character comes to life on the canvas.

More recently, I've found a deep passion in the world of flow art, immersing myself in the spontaneous beauty of paint as it glides and blends across the canvas. Using the Dutch pour technique, I mix paint with archival mediums and create movement by tilting the canvas or using a hairdryer. This method brings magic to each piece with it’s blending of colours and abstract forms, capturing the energy of natural landscapes and seascapes. Each painting becomes a one-of-a-kind journey, a true hand created original!

I’m delighted that my works continue to bring joy to others. With so many creative ideas of what I’d love to achieve, I wish there were more hours in the day to immerse myself in the artistic chaos of my studio.