Capetown Colour

Walking through the streets of Cape Town on holiday in South Africa, I found myself immersed in a wash of brilliant colour; greens, pinks, orange and reds, blues, purples and yellows. With each step, it felt less like I was walking a street and more like I was moving through a living palette.

The colourful old slave houses of Bo‑Kaap, are in one of Cape Town’s most historic neighbourhoods. The area is famous for its bright, vividly painted homes and its deep ties to Cape Malay and enslaved community history. While the homes themselves were not “slave quarters,” the area is historically linked to the descendants of enslaved people brought to the Cape, and the vibrant colours have become a symbol of cultural identity and freedom.

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Born and raised in Sydney, NSW, and now based in the regional coastal city of Coffs Harbour, I draw inspiration from the contrast between urban energy and the quiet rhythms of nature. This duality fuels my work, allowing me to explore emotions that range from bright and pristine to deep, sombre, and introspective.

While I primarily paint with acrylics on canvas, I discovered that some emotions demanded a more tactile, expressive language. This led me to mixed‑medium practice—using scraps of paper, fabric, collage, binder, impasto, and layered colour to build textured foundations and narrative depth. My process is slow and intuitive, merging materials until I reach a personal ‘sweet spot’ of emotion and resonance. Guided by a philosophy of chaos and control, I incorporate flooding, dripping, and splattering to reveal vulnerability and embrace a more fluid, non‑conformist expression.

My lifelong passion for visual art and history lay dormant for years, quietly percolating beneath the surface. It wasn’t until joining hART stART Studio in adulthood that I was encouraged to expand and trust my intuitive painting voice. The Impressionists remain a foundational influence—particularly their devotion to colour, perception, and the freedom to break convention.