Letitia’s abundance 2

Sometimes a painting isn’t quite finished with you.
The first Letitia’s Abundance sold very quickly, and although I was thrilled to see her find a home, I felt there was still something within that painting I needed to explore. Something I hadn’t quite finished learning.
So I returned to Letitia — this time on a much larger scale.
At 122 × 153 cm (48 × 60 inches), she is almost life-size, surrounded and enveloped by an abundant garden of colour, texture and movement. Flowers climb, fall and intertwine around her body, blurring the boundary between the figure and the natural world.
For me, Letitia represents abundance in its broader sense — beauty, sensuality, growth, femininity and the richness of being alive. She isn’t simply lying amongst the garden; she has become part of it.
Perhaps I needed to paint her twice because she still had something to teach me.

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MY WORK
I live and work in Frankston, Victoria. Having studied a Bachelor of Fine Art in 1984 at Monash University, I draw inspiration from the natural world- seascapes , flowers and plants, and the planes and curves of the human form.
My artworks are riots of colour and texture, capturing the essence of my subjects with thick, luscious acrylics intermingled with inks, pastels, and whatever other mediums best illuminates the emotions I feel while painting.
MYSELF
I was born in Italy in 1966. Ironically we arrived in Australia on April Fool’s day when I was 5 years old. From that point on my life was never the same again‚ I felt an alienation and loneliness that no child should be allowed to feel.My creative nature led to more self-absorption. Paint‚ pencils‚ paper and canvas became my friends while line‚ colour‚ tone‚ form and texture became my language. My art didn’t need me to learn words‚ because it spoke for itself.I still find myself alone‚ even more so now after the recent loss of my beautiful husband.When I think about the past I am slowly learning to take comfort in it. I truly believe that no God would put anyone through all of these hardships without a reason. Out of the solitude and loneliness my best ideas and works are born. My art has always prevailed to save me. And because of this‚ he must have a reason why he wishes me to paint….In all I feel that the initial sketch of a new painting is the skeleton‚ the composition is the soul and the colour gives it life and body.

Both my parents were amazing pastry chefs, and growing up I was surrounded by cakes made up of gorgeous tiers of deliciousness. Custards, jams, sponge, chocolate, cheesecake and various creams layered up and merging together. The way I paint reminds me of those desserts from my childhood - using multiple thick layers and textures of paint and other mediums to describe a subject.
I want my work to look delicious to the eye.