I fell in love with painting at an early age. I remember making my first oil painting, Plein Air, in Phillip Island, I think I was around nine years old and painted the sea and surrounding landscape on a tiny easel. I grew up in Melbourne and moved around quite a lot. My favourite memories were from living in Hurstbridge, surrounded by nature and earthy people, the remnants of hippy culture were still strong and influenced me in many ways. I attended a tiny school in a farmhouse on a big piece of land where I climbed trees and roamed around collected leaves, feathers and anything else I could fossick. Learning was a Kinaesthetic experience which was very free and natural. I was encouraged to explore my creativity using many different mediums and spent a lot of time drawing, painting, sewing, weaving and making ceramics.
As an adult I attended RMIT university and completed a Diploma of Visual Arts Double Major Painting and Printmaking and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction, Printmaking. At my graduation from University, I was awarded the Collie Trust Print Award for Emerging Printmakers which included a year’s access to the Australian Print Workshop studio. I went on to run different art workshops in Printmaking and Drawing and obtained my teaching qualifications to become an Art Specialist Teacher.
My art practice is an exploration of the unseen, the subconscious, and what lies beneath the surface. I am interested in the natural world, land, lake, river and sea, plants, animals and humans. Hidden worlds, traces of what has been and evidence of the transformations that have taken place over time. Nature is a constant source of inspiration for me, the complexity and perfection are both mysterious and beautiful.
My current practice includes Painting, both abstract and figurative and often a combination of both, Printmaking, Ceramics, Drawing and Photography. The abstract works are created intuitively, inspired by thoughts, feelings, experiences, whatever emerges and develops when I pick up my brushes. Many of the works are like meditations, some are quite playful, I use a lot of layering in either oils or acrylics.
I feel very connected and inspired by the natural world, which is most evident in my Printmaking practice and figurative artworks. I also have a deep interest in psychology and emotional landscapes, the many layers that are unseen, my works explore the hidden layers to create a feeling, expression or mood.
I hope that you enjoy my artworks and they bring a sense of peace, contemplation and meditation, thank you for your interest.