Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos and Brown Cymbidium Orchids

This enormous work on paper (professionally framed in a classic white frame with white matt board) features a pair of flying Black Cockatoos in an exotic Aussie botanical scene of ferns, palms and my favourite brown Cymbidium Orchids. I know they're not native to Australia, but they are sooooo beautiful and I see them growing in front gardens around my neighbourhood especially at this time of the year, so I had to include them as a feature.

For my recent works on paper, I have been exploring the use of a background created with a varied watercolour wash. The ochre tones of this one give the work an antique paper vibe which adds a further depth and interest to the work. This is a whopper statement painting that would look sensational in a commercial foyer of large feature wall. I have included a photo of me working on it so you can get a good idea of the scale.

Framed dimensions are approximately 162cm x 112cm x 4cm.

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I’ve been making art for most of my life, though the path here hasn’t been completely straightforward. What was meant to be a one-year trip from the UK to Sydney in 1994 somehow turned into a permanent move, and Australia has felt like home ever since.
A lot of my work begins outdoors; walking, noticing plants growing through fences, strange colour combinations in nature, or bringing home flowers and cuttings to paint in the studio. Painting has always been a way for me to slow down and pay attention. It’s where I feel most myself.
Before returning to painting full-time in 2015, I worked across surface pattern design, printmaking and graphic design, and those influences still shape the way I paint today; through colour, rhythm, line and composition. I’m also deeply inspired by the simplicity and spontaneity of Chinese and Japanese ink painting, calligraphy and woodblock prints, though my work has gradually evolved into something much looser and more contemporary over time.
Since returning to full-time practice, my work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Australia and selected as a finalist in prizes including the Calleen Art Award, Lethbridge Prize, Bluethumb Art Prize and the National Contemporary Watercolour Prize. My paintings and prints have also been licensed onto homewares and collected internationally.
I still feel genuinely grateful that I get to spend my days painting, and I hope that sense of joy, calm and curiosity finds its way into the work itself.