White Cockatoo at Dusk

This painting of a white cockatoo is a good example of my recent work. As I gain more confidence as an artist, my style is evolving to incorporate more expressive and intuitive line work and mark making. Drawing is at the heart of everything I do, and my intention with these works is to capture a sense of movement and spontaneity within a flat painting.

I am still in awe of what true Aussies describe as "Backyard Birds" and these exotic creatures (exotic if like me you grew up with pigeons and sparrows) feature heavily in my works. Along with the beautiful plant life we are spoilt with. I find so much inspiration on my daily walks, even around my own neighbourhood which is pretty industrial and gritty, under the flightpath.

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Floriosa is the botanical painting practice of Australian artist Sally Browne.
I've been making art for as long as I can remember. What was meant to be a one-year trip from the UK to Sydney in 1994 somehow became a permanent move, and Australia has been home ever since.
Much of my work begins outdoors. I love wandering through suburban streets noticing flowering trees, plants spilling over fences, unexpected colour combinations and the small details that most of us walk straight past. I often come home with armfuls of flowers, seedpods and odd little cuttings that eventually find their way into my paintings.

Although my work begins with observation, it rarely stays there. A vase of flowers, a flowering gum or a bird perched in the garden might provide the starting point, but colour, memory and imagination soon take over. I'm less interested in painting a particular flower than in capturing the feeling of being surrounded by nature.

Before becoming a full-time artist in 2015, I worked in graphic design, surface pattern and printmaking, experiences that continue to influence my love of colour, rhythm and composition. I'm also inspired by the simplicity and spontaneity of Chinese and Japanese ink painting, though over the years my own work has evolved into a looser, more contemporary style.

Alongside Floriosa, I maintain a contemporary fine art practice under my own name, exhibiting regularly throughout Australia. Over the past decade I've been fortunate to place hundreds of original paintings into private collections both here and overseas. These days, if I'm not in the studio, there's a good chance I'm wandering around Sydney with secateurs in my bag, bringing home flowers, seedpods and whatever else catches my eye.