A mostly self-taught artist, I have loved drawing and painting since, well, forever. While I have mainly just holed myself away in whatever room is mine in whatever place I happen to be living in, painting and drawing and creating and thouroughly enjoying myself, I have also done what feels like a million life-drawing classes across Melbourne during my adult life, revelling in the way the world disappears, only leaving behind the peaceful place where the pencil meets the page. A Chinese teacher in my other life, I took every opportunity to incorporate art into my teaching practice; illustrating stories, songs, posters and anything else I could make an excuse to draw or paint on. If doing something makes you happy, then do more of it, right?
After living for several years in China- a lively, fascinating and utterly amazing place - I began to notice a deep yearning within me. I missed home. In particular, I missed the quiet and peaceful, natural beauty of rural Australia, with its open spaces and wild, untamed shapes and edges. I now live in the picturesque Yarra Valley. I find abundant and overflowing inspiration in life’s simple pleasures- listening to frogs chorusing in harmony, the gorgeously unmatched feel of radiant heat from the wood fire, morning and evening sunlight that bathes trees, grasses and hillsides in its vivid golden glow, and on and on.
When creating art, I love to explore different mediums, totally driven by whim and fancy, however, acrylic paints are my current favourite. Sometimes I incorporate other mediums, such as pencil, pen, charcoal and collage into my pieces, because why not? Right now I am utterly obsessed with balancing joyful, sometimes playfully nostalgic, sometimes moody and passionate colours. The subject and style of my work is driven by instinct, inspration and often dreams. I want my work to gift energy, optimism and joy; to lend a decadent cheerfulness to the place it calls home.