artists bio

I was born in England and migrated to Australia as a young child. Growing up, I was
surrounded by the Australian bush, living on the edge of the Cumberland State forest,
until becoming a bit of a gypsy, moving around Sydney’s stunning harbour and eastern
beaches, for most of my adult life (with a brief stop in the lovely Adelaide, in South
Australia). Widely travelled, I have spent time in Europe (England, France, Italy), the
USA (with Hawaii and Arizona being particular favourites) and Southeastern Asia
(Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Vanuatu,Fiji). Whew! Definitely, a gypsy!

Now I live, yet again ‘on the edge’ of Sydney, in the northern Blue Mountains
surrounded once more by the awe-inspiring Australian bush and the beautiful farmland
of the Hawkesbury. Married a few times (I had to keep trying til I got it right) I now live
and love with my bear of a husband, Eric and studio companion, fluffball dog, Tara, both
who help me with my artistic vision.

A ’Cool! from Eric means that creation is off to the framers (any other comment and I
keep working on it) and the ‘tap, tap’ of little claws from Tara means it’s time to take a
rest. We have 4 beautiful daughters (really, they are all beautiful, check out my
Facebook page to see I’m not fibbing) who are all grown and travelling their own
creative journeys around the globe.

I have been painting prolifically now for the last 20 years as a hobby but is wasn’t until
after recovering from a spinal injury and a near death drowning accident that I focussed
on art full time. Overcoming physical struggles to be able to paint now has truly been a
gift.

Mostly self taught, I have taken some classes with wonderful teachers of life drawing,
portraiture, mixed media and sculpture and I utilise the Internet for classes from around
the world.

Like many I applaud the sensuality of Georgia OKeefe’s work, the ideals of love in
Chagall’s work, the colour work of Matisse, Turners ability to capture light and now the
rhythmic beauty of Stephen Quiller’s landscape watercolours. I feel that my work is most
influenced by them.

As an artist, I have been inspired by my travels. I am inspired by the love, the light and
the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual worlds and journeys of those around me.
Love is the one thing we all most cherish. It can be romantic love, motherly love, self
love or the love of the natural world in which I live, viewed through spiritual eyes. Love
has at times been my tormentor but it is also my muse. And it is this exploration that
influences what I create.

My art is my hope for a more beautiful and loving world. It is consistent with my belief in
the Buddhist philosophy of how one can aspire to interact with people and all living
beings with respect and loving kindness.

My creations are eclectic in the truest sense of the word. I am a ‘mixed media’ artist
using ink, watercolour, acrylic, encaustic, pastels, fibre and fabric to create figures,
collage, landscapes and semi abstractions. I want to be like the artists of old who were
able to explore using many mediums.

I match my medium with my inspiration. Nothing is pre-determined – everything is
inspirationally driven and of the moment. In that moment a concept is born that may
take anything from an hour to a couple of weeks or years to come to fruition.

My artistic creations are my corporeal expressions of love. They allow me to share my
feelings with the rest of humanity in a way that gives me joy and, hopefully, does the
same for the people with whom I share my works.