But one by one we must all file on Through the narrow aisles of pain

In 2021, I set up a studio in the seaside town of Corinella, to work on The Laws of Nature – my latest collection of paintings. I was working with personal reflections on solitude and yearning during the extended lockdowns in Melbourne when I discovered the Casuarina trees huddling along the clifftops along the coast.
The trees seemed to speak to me, sharing knowledge of devotion and unswerving loyalty to nature, the creator. They became the perfect muse, evoking feelings of vulnerability and betrayal, yet maintaining a sense of dignity and stoic strength.
I read Romantic poets, such as Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Lord Byron and Walter De La Mare; inspired by the emotional power of their words.
I wrote my own poetry such as:
The Laws of Nature.
Unable to run
When the weather turns
The trees are patient,
They won’t blame god,
human
Or the wind
Rather, they parade, attentive
To the sun, to heaven, to the creator.
Struck by lightning,
Smashed by cyclone,
Unfurled in a sun shower-
Never self-pitying
Only reaching upwards, with devotion
Even when Forsaken
They remain
Loyal to the Laws of Nature
But mostly I painted.
This is a painting about feeling forgotten and forsaken, yet standing strong and defiant, knowing that ultimately life is reward enough, and to be grateful for sound of the wind through the she oaks on a balmy twilight.

(title from Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem Solitude)

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I graduated in B.Ed Visual Arts (Painting) at the University of Melbourne and held my first solo exhibition at the George Paton Gallery in 1992. I have practiced my Art making and exhibited my artworks in solo and group exhibitions since then.

I have had a great interest in Australia’s First Nation people and their spiritual connection to this land for many years. I have been fortunate to be invited onto country by indigenous leaders in significant places such as Tiwi Islands, Gunditjamara and Barmah Forest, (Yorta Yorta).
These authentic experiences have been influential on my artworks and given me a strong sense of connection to the ancient land that is Australia. They have also helped me uncover my own ancestral links to the Lennemerrtenner people of Northen Tasmania.

I have had several solo exhibitions of my artworks in Melbourne, most recently an exhibition of 24 paintings at Ladder Artspace in 2019. My artwork was featured in the international emerging artist magazine Art Ascent’s Water issue in 2019. I was also awarded Highly Commended for a painting in the 2019 Portland Art Show.
Whilst based on Australian landscapes, my paintings are more an ongoing documentation of my spiritual journey of self-discovery.