A Brief introduction
I grew up
in & around Tamworth & Gunnedah in New South Wales .
Our beekeeping family travelled throughout eastern Australia & enjoyed
a mixture of rural & urban activities, whilst seeing numerous new places
& meeting many fresh faces.
I now live & work with my husband, Shane, those of our family who happen
to be home, & father in law, on a sheep & cattle property, 23
km west of Eulo.
Living in rural & remote areas provides a nurturing environment for the
imagination & allows utilization of natural materials located within
my local area. Ochres, clays & found objects combine with commercial
art materials in both prints & other work. This allows a greater understanding
of my bush habitat & the continually changing impact of occupation by
people & other creatures.
Combining different skills from various arts & crafts is fun & encourages
development of new ways of seeing. It helps me to focus on possibilities
for our future. Acrylics were a welcome challenge from 2001, whilst 2004
initiated experimentation with oils & charcoal.
A
life long interest in learning has continued through Flying Arts, RADF
workshops, USQ Summer & Winter Schools & External study through
Curtin University of Technology.
History surrounds us, influencing all & has subsequently crept into some
of my images.
Some paintings & prints depict our environment, emphasizing the old ways
used in agricultural industries & other experiences. It has been exciting
to develop "The
Fabric of Rural Life" series, in which old mended clothing & other means
of patching things together have been incorporated within the artwork.
Making do with what is available & use of the less expensive option is
common to many family businesses.
Ours is no exception!
Recently, the main emphasis in my work has been the importance of relationships
within the family & community. I have attempted to communicate how isolation
& distance can create mixed blessings, some may be joyfully celebrated,
whereas others bring intense distress. Perhaps these images will rekindle
memories.