I was born in Melbourne but spent my childhood inVictoria's central Goldfield region.

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My parents and my paternal grandmother all pursued careers in fine art but when I was young I wanted to be an actress.  However the 'how to' of making it big in Hollywood was a long way from the capabilities of my imagination when I was eight, so I put that dream on the back burner and I dedicated my spare time to drawing and painting. 

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My early artistic influences comprised Mr Squiggle (a puppet with a pencil for a nose), Herge's Tin Tin and a little book of artwork on my parents' bookshelves by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser whose work of vibrant colours and patterns held me captivated for hours. I studied art all through my school years but despite my interest and my parents' encouragement to attend art school I didn't follow that path because I didn't want to be an artist ...  

                                                                                                           In pursuing my goal of not becoming an artist I explored the world to evaluate my options. My dreams of Hollywood had well dissipated by adulthood and my ambitions had scaled down considerably, instead I was simply trying to navigate through life without drowning in the chaos of attempting to comprehend existence. My gainful employment experiences had left me restless and confused. I questioned everything and everyone, myself included. Life felt very heavy.     

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I was 30 when my wanderings led me to a remote town in the Pilbara, Western Australia with my boyfriend at the time. It was here that I began to paint everyday. Initially I started painting because I didn't know what else to do, I had time to fill, the days were long and I was often in the house alone, but once I started painting I realised how much I needed art in my life. I also realised that I had a lot to say that I didn't know how to put it into words. Putting it down on canvas made so much sense to me. ​

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It's probably reasonable to say that my pursuit of not becoming an artist ended in 2008 when I moved to Darwin upon receiving a government  grant for an artist residency program.  I began selling my prints and paintings at the markets and I will be eternally grateful for Darwin's warm embrace. 

 

The past few years have presented some personal road blocks and reality checks. I am no longer selling at markets or living in Darwin but I am still painting every chance I get and I am looking out for new stories to document and share with the world as they unfold.  

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