I have been a continually practising artist my whole life, apart from periods when my art took a ‘back seat’, while I pursued a career in the so called real world. This lack of fulfilment in my work , brought me to my ultimate truth to become a full time artist. Since then, I have marketed and exhibited my personal style of work. It is a style that captures boldness and spontaneity along with a sense of movement and freedom, in an effort to form an emotional connection with you. Central to my work is a desire to tap into the energy I feel when I am immersed with the sea and the landscape.
My art education began at the Elsternwick School of Art with studies in illustration, followed by studies in commercial and graphic art. Since that time, I have studied art and artists; through books, galleries, workshops, and the bottomless depths of the internet, but I still consider myself predominately ‘self-taught’. My inspiration comes from a large and varied range of artists with contrasting styles such as Sargent, Degas, Waterhouse, Anders Zorn, Sorolla, Bischoff, Diebenkorn and Susan Valadon, just to name a few of many. This journey of discovery and enlightenment, I now understand is taking me more and more to the world of the abstract. That dangerous world of freedom, ideas and boldness, where you expose yourself to the way you truly see the world and how you engage with it. Although the audience you speak to may be smaller in number, the understanding comes at a deeper level and art is only truly complete when an engaged viewer is present. This allows the viewer to contemplate the infinite possibilities of what is seen and unseen. Yes, my art does need to tell a story and for a moment, at least, instil an emotion that is as individual as the way we all see the world, therefore I want my paintings to form a unique relationship with you. Through art, we can throw aside the restrictions that society places upon us and redefine our relationship with others and nature, to find our own truth. This is what inspires me.
Art is a pursuit that I will continue for the rest of my life; there will be triumphs, experiments and discoveries. I invite you to share this journey with me. |
