I have been a full time artist for the last 25 years and painting for 60 years so far. The medium I use is oils applied to canvas by palette knife “alla prima”. My passion for colour began when, as a small child in a Sicilian village church, I became engrossed by the beauty of stained glass windows. After moving to Brisbane in 1951 my first study in art was weekly childhood wanderings through the nearby Brisbane Art Gallery and Museum. The (then) Brisbane College of Art was where I had my first formal training, followed by the University of Queensland where I achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Fine Art.
I have had two solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions. These include: finalist in the Blake Prize, finalist Stanthorpe Art Prize, finalist Ipswich Art Awards, winner of Eutopian Art Awards – for abstract works, and have received many “highly commended” awards. I was also chosen for a Brisbane City Council commission. My work was called “Fragments of the Brisbane River - aerial view” (17metres x 1.2metres)
My aim is to extend the possibilities of colour with each new painting. The movements I make with colour and the palette knife are both controlled and uncontrolled balance of movement while taking advantage of the “happy accident”. I cannot copy any of my paintings because they are inspired by the feelings I have at the time of painting. I describe myself as a colourist.