My interest in art started at a very young age, drawing and creating things from bits and pieces as soon as I was able to hold a pencil or use a pair of scissors. Fom the age of five or six I wanted to be an artist, by six or seven I became interested in paper dolls, making my own and designing there clothes, this developed into an interest in dress designing and often designed and made my own clothes, as I wasn't able to follow this path I turned my creative juices to producing outfits for my children putting my art to the backburner. While my children were growing up I manged to fit in the odd craft class from time to time learning such things as decoupage, paper toll, candlewicking, ribbon emboidery, leadlighting and folk art.
After my children had grown I decided to pursue my interest in art finding art classes available in Murwillumbah taught by Graeme Stevenson of Colour In Your life. Classes ran for a short time, but long enough to inspire me to continue. Graeme encouraged me to continue and hungry for more classes and opportunities I went to the Caldera Art Gallery where I met Andy Reimainis joined there art class, met some like minded people and was invited to help with the Green Cauldren Panorama, a three hundred and sixty degree painting of The Tweed area encompassing the entire caldera, which took a total of twelve months to complete.
My life has been enriched amazingly by art enjoying pastel, acrylic and oil mediums. I like to paint anything that catches my eye, but I am particularly inspired by the native flora and fauna of our region and quite often depict these images in my paintings. I also enjoy painting portraits of my grandchildren and when I have the chance enjoy life drawing with both charcoal and ink.
I enjoy entering art competitions and have won numerous prizes ranging from framers choice, peoples choice, 2nd, 3rd, highly commended and overall winner. I have worked with Graeme Stevenson with Paint Your Life Foundation, both in a teaching and fundraising capacity and run two art classes per month at Heritage Lodge Nursing Home with the residents which I find very rewarding. It is amazing the differnce art can make to peoples lives. I hope to do more teaching in the future as anything that involves art and or craft interests me.
My advice to anyone thinking of taking up painting is; look for insperation in your world and what is relavent to you, if you paint what you like or are passionate about your paintings will always be wonderful.