I can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to be an artist just like my Dad, he went to NAS too, but then it was called East Sydney Tech. I was lucky enough to be accepted at 15, and spent the next 5 years learning and immersing myself in the art world. When I graduated, I moved with the family to the Gold Coast. I had been exhibiting in Sydney and thought to do the same on the Coast, so I presented my work to a gallery , I had a devastating interview with the owner, who told me I had no talent and to find another career, I simply gave away my dreams. After this I wandered from one unrewarding job to another, I met my husband and had a wonderful son but there was something missing in my life, much later and with a great deal of support and encouragement I decided to venture into the art world again, this time being tougher, older and wiser and with added determination I began to work again.
Now – I’m a dedicated cloud watcher, addicted to buying art materials and am fascinated by watching paint dry. I paint every day, you will find me in the studio most days from about 5am until it’s time for wine o’clock – about 5pm.
I’m determined to make up for that lost painting time, so I work hard every day and am quite prolific in my output. A friend once said to me “too many paintings, not enough time” – never truer words!
My watercolours are bright and happy and you can see how much I enjoy playing and experimenting with colour and paint while the oil pieces are more introspective and quite personal, exploring fundamental truths about ourselves, our world and the relationship between the two. Humans are so very complex – so many different aspects make up our personalities, surely this should show in your artwork?
My favourite subjects to paint are clouds and trees and the bigger the better! Large landscapes with wonderful dramatic clouds and strong horizon lines. When I paint in oils I use many of the techniques of the Old Masters, the pieces aren’t necessarily planned but do take time to complete, the process is slower and needs to be painted in layers, a meditative process. I have recently been exploring ‘solitary and quietness’ with oils using a single tree beneath a vast sky to express that feeling. The work moved into ‘The Road Series’ . These pieces are an emotional response to the Covid times and how this altered our paths, we are all on a journey and each journey is individual, but I believe many are taking a different path to what we planned, our world has certainly changed. Lately I have been moving back to the serene and solitary as we return to a more structured way of life. My most recent work I have named “Above the Canopy” which are slightly abstract trees as they reach for the sky.
I enjoy experimenting with water media: inks and watercolours are my favourites, exploring and pushing the mediums. Mark making, drawing and abstract shapes become a large part of working this way, reacting to the scene with no fixed idea of the outcome. They don’t all work of course, but the process is so much fun!
But if you are reading this I hope you are interested my work, if you have questions, please get in touch – I am happy to send any information about my process and the inspiration behind the piece.
Over the years I have exhibited widely, including a number of solo exhibitions on the Gold Coast and in Melbourne. My artworks are held in private collections in England, Spain and America. In Australia works can be found in Parliament House, Canberra; The Treasury, Canberra; Gold Coast Council Public Library and the Gold Coast Marine Rescue to name a few. Recently thanks to Art Lovers two of my pieces were shown in the Netflix movie True Spirit.
I am also represented by the following online galleries and am affiliated with Mobile Framing who not only frame my work but also offer a personal hanging service
2024 Private Collection, Gold Coast
2020 Parliament House Rooms
2020 The Treasury, Canberra
2014 Gold Coast Volunteer Coast Guard
2004/7 Gold Coast Italo Australian Club
2013 Gold Coast City Council, Nerang Library
2012 Nerang Chamber of Commerce
2001 Private collection, Gladstone, Queensland
2000 Private collection, Rockhampton, Queensland
1999 Private collection, London
1998 Private collection, Spain
2024 Land And Sea, Stevens Street Gallery, Yandina, Featured Artist
2024 Art Lovers Australia, Biophilic, Collingwoood Gallery, Melbourne
2023/4 Art Lovers Australia, Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne, “Smalls”
2023 Art Lovers Australia, Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne, “Land Sea Sky”
2023 Art Lovers Australia, Southport Gallery, Collectors Edition Exhibition
2022 Art Lovers Australia, Southport Gallery, Bold Exhibition
2022 Art Lovers Australia, Southport Gallery, Collectors Edition Exhibition
2021 Art Lovers Australia Southport Gallery, Renewal landscape exhibition
2021 The Space Gallery, Summer Vibes Exhibition
2018 The Morris Art Prize
2018 Artlovers Australia Prize
2018 Lethbridge Small Scale Award
2018 Coast To Country – 10 Women Artists
2010 /22 The Doyles Art Awards
2008 The Mortimore Art Prize and Traveling Exhibition
2002 Society of Sculptors Gold Coast,2
2021-24 Art Lovers Australia Collectors Book
2023/4 Art Edit magazine, #38 In Series feature
2023 Spotlight magazine, Issue 35
2021 Home Design Magazine, November Two page article
2019 Home Design Magazine, September, Artscape section
2018 Home Design Magazine, November full page feature
2018 Artlovers Australia Book, page 6
2018 Art Edit Magazine, Summer Edition issue 16, p 69 and 108
2018 Artsy Shark Autumn, feature artist
2007 Women In Focus Magazine, August feature p39
2006 This Month on the Broadwater, July feature p5
2003 Gold Coast Sun Newspaper, January feature article p10
2022 Art Lovers Australia, finalist
2021 Bluethumb Art Prize, finalist, sculpture
2021 Art Lovers Australia Prize, finalist
2019 Heritage Bank, Lions Club, Highly Commended
2018 Morris Art Prize, finalist
2018 Artlovers Australia Prize, finalist
2018 Lethbridge Small Scale Award, finalist
2013 d’arcy Doyle Art Awards, Highly commended
2002/5 Sculptors Society, various awards
1998/2015 Gold Coast Show Society, various awards
2024 Bluethumb – Rising Stars
2024 Art Lovers Austalia – Artist to watch 2024
2023 Artwork chosen for the Netflix movie – True Spirit
2022 Artsy Shark, Featured Artist
2022 Art Lovers Australia, – Trusted Sellers
2021 Art Lovers Australia – Top 20 Sellers
2018 Art Lovers Australia – popular artist
2018 Bluethumb On Line – feature/studio artist
2016 Gold Coast City Council Artist showcase
2023 Above The Canopy- Mist Gallery – Cabarita Beach
2012 The Nudes – Pauline Evers Fine Art, Toorak VIC
2010 New Works – Pauline Ewers Fine Art, Toorak VIC
2006 Pushing the Boundaries – Bruce Watling Galleries, Southport QLD