ARTIST BIO

Ever since childhood I have wanted to be an artist but I never had any real opportunities to learn at school.  Several times in later life I made attempts to learn but never followed through.  In 1994, I moved from Melbourne to Brisbane and the following year took part in a course called, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” and suddenly everything fell into place.  I was amazed to find I could draw.

 A year or so later I moved to Coolum on the Sunshine Coast where I did a one-day workshop in pastel painting and my path was set.  In early 2001, I joined the Coolum Art Group. 

 In late 2003 I returned to Victoria and took up residence in Healesville.  Here I had the good fortune to find a wonderful teacher, Janet Hayes, and I have been studying with her since then.

 I love nature with its many moods and contrasts.  As a young teenager I lived in the Dandenongs which were still very much countrified and,   when I moved to the Sunshine Coast,  I added to this love of country an even greater love of the sea.  Today I have a holiday house at Rye, so enjoy the best of both worlds.  Drawing from these experiences of living and holidaying in both the country and by  the ocean, I find I particularly enjoy interpreting seascapes, landscapes, birds, flowers and animals.  I can lose myself in recapturing these fond memories and I hope I manage to bring some of that inspiring beauty of nature to those who view my art pieces.

 More recently I have begun to work in acrylics and I find this medium quite fascinating and rewarding. Currently I am focusing on trying to capture the luminosity of sunshine on land and sea and I am discovering there is quite a difference between capturing light in pastel and in acrylic.  There is always so much more to learn!