Biography
I am an award winning figurative artist known for my bold and sensuous yet haunting nudes. Light and its effect on form is my inspiration and whilst I don't particularly aspire to convey a conscious emotion in my work it seems to emerge of its own will. I work in oils on linen as I find oils to be very forgiving and sensual.
My earliest memory is of drawing for my great aunts while my brothers and sisters were running amok outside, and it has always been my dream to be an artist. I seem to have been dabbling in art all my life. As a child I loved to draw people and indeed portraiture remains a passion with me. After school I started a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree however the lure of money and independence proved too strong and I joined the workforce. In the ensuing 16 years I continued to dabble – a course here, a painting there. The birth of my son in 1996 provided the catalyst for me to finally realize my dream. I gave up work and began to paint in earnest while caring for two young children.
I started doing portraits and I advertised in a magazine aimed at parents. When I didn't have a commission I would paint and I was soon entering paintings in local competitions. I started to sell some paintings and get a little bit of attention but it was the advent of the internet which really allowed me to get my work out there.
I decided to turn professional in 2003 and my first solo show in Sydney in 2004 was favourably reviewed by Lenny Ann Low from the Sydney Morning Herald. Since then I have exhibited widely in Australia and overseas in Italy, Germany, the USA, Great Britain, China and Taiwan. There have been many highlights over the years including my selection to represent Australia at the 2006 and 2007 Guangzhou Art Fair in China and my selection as a finalist in the 2012 Art Taipei International Competition. While exhibiting in the Guangzhou International Art Fair in China, one of my pieces was selected by the GIAF Committee to represent Australia in all the marketing for the event.
Another highlight was my selection as a Zone winner in the London Olympics 2012 Art Show which ran for the duration of the Olympics and my selection as one of the Best Picks for Painting in the 2013 Dubai International Emerging Artist Award. I have been described as an artist to look out for as my works continue to deliver a fresh perspective on contemporary figurative painting.
I've been a finalist in many prestigious competitions and have won prizes both here in Australia and overseas. I've also been included in a number of curated exhibitions, again, here in Australia and overseas.
