Red Rooster (unframed on paper)

Living creatures are always inspirational because they are just themselves. I want to capture the spirit of the animal in my paintings as much as the appearance. I have a series of animals that live in Samford and surrounds, the location where I live. Watercolour gives the freedom of movement that I want when capturing these animals on watercolour paper. I use a variety of techniques including wet in wet, wet on dry along with splashing and flicking. It is such fun and I always hope that it is reflected in the finished product.

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Eileen grew up far away from her current location in the beautiful green landscape of Samford Valley, Queensland, Australia. The North of England lacked the colour and vibrance of the tropics but she discovered that creative machine embroidery and printmaking gave her the opportunity to produce the dazzling colours that my environment lacked. Painting, printing and creative fabric mural work were her majors during the years of art study. In Townsville, many years later she continued work on creative murals and was awarded a first prize in a Pacific Festival Fibres and Fabrics competition. She went on to adjudicate the children's section of the competition. Travel experiences created a shift in focus: art journaling became a natural progression. With a desire to capture these moments in a more dynamic way she began to paint in acrylics on canvas. The fast-drying process of acrylic medium suits her lively style and personality.

She has always loved colour, the vibrant images of Tahiti from Gauguin, the softer colours from Degas, Monet and Renoir. Other painters who contribute to her inspiration are Matisse, Miro, Picasso and Chagall. The effect of light and play on lit and areas of shadow is vital to her works. No subject is out of bounds, but the everyday connections are important in her works: a person with bright scarf flashes by in Florence, elderly 'nonnas' sitting on a bench in Rome, a group of local gentlemen by the Seine, a little girl, Beatrice, kicking leaves in Jardin du Luxembourg, a rusty car perched on a hill not far from her village - all images worthy of capturing on canvas. Her style is said to be impressionistic: a snapshot of life.

Other subjects include flora and fauna from life in and around her two acre garden, and in the beautiful surrounds of Samford Valley and compositions from objets d'art collected in the studio. Painting and teaching are her passions in equal measure with a dose of French added to the mix. Her brushwork can be fast and furious or controlled, depending on the subject and complexity of the work. She and her husband met, as students, in the art department and have made art together ever since. Their studio design became a reality in 2013, a place where you will find them on any given day in the beautiful Samford Valley in Queensland.