Painting for me is a relationship.  A relationship that stems back to the 70’s when I began studying full time for two years to complete an Art Certificate at TAFE. I had an understanding in the first few months that I had found my place in the world, immersed in art. 
Life has its many twists and turns.  As I began raising my family in the 80’s art took a back seat and then disappeared entirely. At some point I had an epiphany, while watching the movie “The Piano”.  Seeing the piano left on the beach to be wrecked by the ocean, I realised I’d left my art behind for more than 10 years. It was painful.  I picked up my brushes that week and began again. 
I’m still facing life’s storms with brushes in hand. Many of these paintings are metaphors. Symbols of feeling and undercurrents of emotion, understandings and musings about the nature of things. 
I’ve enjoyed refreshing my practice over the years, completing a Diploma of Visual Arts at Sunshine Coast TAFE in 2008-2009. 
During COVID I was enraptured with the Mastery Programme, an intensive year long study online with Milan Art Institute where I gained a lot of momentum, then more recently in 2024 revisiting the Art Certificate at Tuncurry TAFE. I love learning and working alongside others! 
I don’t have separate boxes for my art. Whether it’s large scale portrait murals or a commission, tiny artists books, or drawings in ink and charcoal, it’s all relevant and deserves my whole focus. 
This exhibition is a celebration before the next chapter. The hermit must come out of the cave!