I paint Australian Landscapes sometimes with a twist of abstract! I love to paint funky trees because that's how I see them. I never tire of watching their bark change throughout the seasons, the colours change with different light and the quirky shapes of their limbs. I try to capture their uniqueness in a fun-loving and often whimsical way. I am lucky to paint against a backdrop of trees with birds and kangaroos frequently dropping in... as well as the occasional brown snake!
I started to paint after suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury at 52 years of age. Painting initially helped to "unlock" my inner-self, thoughts and feelings that I found hard to express. Through my continued recovery, painting has become a love and passion, I call it “healing art”. For me, trees are very symbolic. Even when they lose their bark or leaves and look very different to what they were before, they are still a tree, the same tree! That's what it felt like for me after my injury, I felt like a totally different person, I had to re-learn many basic things in life, but I was still the same person deep inside. I still have to remember to "ground" myself at times - and it's the tree that I look to help me.
Sometimes I cover the canvas in whatever pattern and colours “speak” to me, or I clean my paint brushes or palette knives on a spare canvas. This in itself can be an outlet to experiment with colour, shapes or texture. But I also find that it is often an outward expression of the emotions I often bottle up inside. I leave these canvasses to dry and when I come back to them, and paint over them I find beautiful texture and shapes which guide the composition and colour of my next painting. I still have to remember to "ground" myself at times - and it’s the trees that I look to help me. Sometimes I paint the trees in, other times I scrape back to create the tree - revealing blends of wonderful colours. This way I find my process is quite organic and intuitive to how the painting ends up.
In an earlier life I taught Biology to secondary school students and my passion for the environment, wildlife and ecosystems remains strong in my being. My paintings tell a story of places I have been to; of respecting and caring for our natural environment.
My hope is that my art helps others in their healing journey and provides opportunities for connection with others and nature. I hope they encourage good conversations, opportunities for reflection and a reminder to practice mindfulness.
Each painting comes with its unique "story" and a certificate of authentication.