My Artist Practice

I live in an environment filled with wildlife and bushland. That is my inspiration. It connects us to our natural world. The bird's trees and animals spirit, their unique songs and behaviours and their colours are a timely reminder to us all, to reconnect with the powerful force of nature that nurtures our soul and reminds us of our mortality.

In my artwork I ask the viewer to reflect on the place where nature resides, in our hearts and minds, how we might find the time to immerse ourselves in its vanishing world and how we might reconcile where humanities progress and technology fits in our lives. We need to find a connection with our natural world and strike a balance between our needs and the needs of our environment.

I am a visual artist and a registered art therapist living in Sydney, Australia. I studied visual art and design and worked commercially as a textile designer in the fashion and homewares industry for nearly 20 years.

My art themes range from environmental concerns to social and behavioural observations influenced by my community work as an art therapist and arts worker. My current works are made from recycled materials, even the paint has been sourced from throw outs from the local paint shop. I'm conscious of making my art practice a sustainable one so I'm always searching for wood and canvases that people are throwing away. When I am not in my art studio I facilitate art therapy programs for children and adults.

Studies

1984-85     1 year of Bachelor of Arts study / University of NSW

1986-88     3 years of Bachelor of Ed (art) study / City Art Institute (now COFA, UNSW)

1990-92     Advanced Certificate in Art and Design / Perth TAFE, WA

2008-10     Master of Art Therapy / University of Western Sydney, NSW

2015          Cert IV Training and Assessment / St George Community College, NSW

Exhibitions

2023    IWD group art exhibition, Wollongong university

2022       Felt Edge group exhibition, Whitlam Gallery UWS. Parramatta NSW

2021        Inside this box group exhibition, Corner Store Gallery, Orange NSW

2019     Knowledge exhibition, 107 window Gallery, Redfern NSW

              Sydney Children's Hospital Art space, group show. Randwick NSW

2018     Solo Exhibition at ME Art Space ARI St Leonards, Sydney

2017     Exhibitor at 2017 Bird and Wildlife Expo, Sydney

2016     Fishers Ghost exhibition, Cambelltown Arts Centre, NSW

2015     Sydney Children's Hospital Art space, group show. Randwick NSW

2015     Waste to Art Warringah Art Prize Exhibition, Warringah Creative Space NSW

2014     WABA Inc Wildlife art @ Discovery Exhibition, Canberra ACT2013          

               Fisher's Ghost Art Exhibition, Cambelltown Arts Centre.

               Arthouse Hotel solo exhibition, Sydney NSW

                Drawn to India group show, Toowoomba Qld

2012     Ascent of Man solo show, Queen St Gallery, Woollahra NSW

                Skillset Art Exhibition Flannery Centre, Bathurst NSW

2011     Generation X group show, ESP Gallery, Marrickville NSW          

               Postcards from the North group show, ESP Gallery, Marrickville NSW

               The pineapple café group show, Sheffer Gallery, Redfern NSW

               From streets to shore group show, Salerno Gallery, Glebe NSW

               Clifton's art prize Exhibition, Sydney, NSW

2010     Remnants & Fragments group show, Blank Space Gallery, Darlinghurst, NSW     

               Summer Moments group show, Art Moments Gallery, Bondi NSW

2009     Moments of Improvisation solo show, Art Moments Gallery, Bondi NSW

2008     Figurative moments group show Art Moments Gallery, Bondi NSW

Awards

2023        First Prize-Abstract Art. Shoalhaven Arts Society annual exhibition.

        Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra     

2014     Wildlife art @ Discovery exhibition 'Best emotive theme' art prize, ACT

                http://waba.net.au/2014-exhibition-award-winners/

2011     People's choice award Clifton's art prize Exhibition, Sydney, NSW