The Good Companion

This painting was a finalist in the 2024 Biblio Art Prize. It is based on the book Why We Are Here by Briohny Doyle. It's a book about grief and the connection between a woman and her dog. It made me think about the relationship we have with our pets, how we care for them in the physical sense -- feeding and watering them, cleaning up after them -- and how, in turn, they are such good, loyal companions. The woman in my painting is reclining, her arms wrapped around herself protectively, potentially sad and grieving, while the dog leans towards her, a faithful and non-judgemental presence. A good companion.

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I am an emerging artist from Warrnambool, Victoria. I love to paint people and I have a genuine sense of appreciation for the idiosyncrasies and mystery of all individuals. Whether it’s the feeling of loneliness and despair that can sometimes plague each one of us, the joy of connecting at a party, or the comfort of home, my paintings are a celebration of humanity. I'm interested in the things that connect us, narratives that help us make sense of the world. In these increasingly polarised and atomised times I hope that the characters in my paintings can help remind us that we are more alike than we are different.

I've been a finalist in both the Mandorla Art Prize and the Biblio Art Prize and I've exhibited with Bluethumb Art Gallery at the Affordable Art Fair and in the Next Wave Exhibition in Melbourne. My work was recently selected to exhibit in the ACB Selects exhibition in Sydney. I have five children, one husband, and a scruffy old dog — and I live in a very small house on a big block of land.