Artist Profile
Having developed a keen interest in drawing and painting from a young age growing up in the beautiful New England area of NSW Australia, I have always studied and practiced Art and been driven to recreate that which I observed around me. My medium of choice was oils even as a young child, reading any painting book I could find and spending spare time with local artists to understand the process. Following my HSC studies which focused on art and art history, I worked in Armidale for a local newspaper rendering and composing advertisements whilst attending university. Later I travelled to Europe where I found inspiration from traditional realist art. On returning, I studied Graphic Design at the KvB Institute of Visual Communication in North Sydney and graduated with a distinction and was awarded best student. During this time I enjoyed designing logos and branding for prominant tourism businesses in The Rocks Sydney.
Following on from this I worked for some years with Rabobank in Sydney in various roles including Public Relations and Client Services Manager . Within the PR role I used my graphic design and rendering skills to market products. After marrying, we moved back to regional NSW. After a period of time at the Tamworth branch of Rabobank, I went on to work as a freelance Graphic Artist. My graphic design work over my career has encompassed logos, signage, branding, packaging, magazine covers, clothing prints, newspaper advertisements and even wine labels featuring my rendered images. This, along with three children, the purchase of a nearby farm and a serious illness has kept me busy. However, recently after an inspiring trip to the Rijksmuseum and other European galleries, I made the decision to recommit fully to my first love, oil painting!
My initial art competition entry in 2017 gained first place in the Currabubula Red Cross Art Show oils and acrylics section, having sold all paintings entered. Following this in the 2019 Currabubula Red Cross Art Show, I again won the oils and acrylic section with a still life and happily also received the People's Choice Award with an equine portrait "Red Lord". I have recently been accepted into The Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA) Melbourne and received a Highly Commended in the 2020 Autumn Exhibition for a Still Life and a Highly Commended in the 2020 Winter Exhibition for a figurative painting. Rendering skills are very important for a painter and I enjoy many forms of sketching. I was chosen as a feature artist by Stillman and Birn with a graphite study in 2020 and was selected as a finalist in the Works on Paper exhibition at Blackstone Gallery in Newcastle for a figurative sketch.
Mastering a process that can be applied across genres is always my focus. Painting on primed Belgium linen, I use a very limited primary palette and always mix my own colours, enhancing and training my eye for the nuances and subtly of value. Whilst I appreciate many forms of art and design, I am truly passionate about realism and traditional oil painting. I am drawn to the discipline of technique, study of composition and time required to produce quality archival paintings. My paintings often evoke a sense of past, a quiet moment in time to be enjoyed within the human drama of contemporary life. The only thing I love more than my studio is my beautiful family who eagerly await the unveiling of each and every painting!