Since my first exhibition, 'Revealing the Positive' in 2017, I can honestly say that my life has changed in ways I could never have imagined. Coming from a corporate world of facts, figures and fitting in, it was a huge leap of faith to walk away and begin a brand new career in the art world.
Now life is more about feelings, fulfilment, and functioning in my own sphere, being able to be the person I was meant to be, and bringing about positive change both in myself, in the art community to which I now belong and for the people who have my art hanging on their walls.
I have had a constant love, and connection to nature all my life, as a keen walker and gardener, and always a keen photographer of nature. Expressing this love in my paintings now seems like the most natural of progressions to me, although 10 years ago if you had told me I would soon become an artist I would have laughed and said I've never tried drawing, let alone painting anything since primary school days.
So here I am about to launch my third solo exhibition 'A Positive Passion' which is inspired by the beautiful native plants of New Zealand. Who'd have thought it!
My painting process is very intuitive, I am more feeling my way through a painting than following any pre conceived plan. Beginning with bright bold translucent washes, the composition evolves from where the most interesting blending takes place on the canvas. The end result are paintings in which, though the subject is recognizable, it is definitely an abstracted version of itself. I enjoy building up the work with many flowing translucent layers to give a feeling of depth and mystery, the eyes can make out the layers of colours which created the final effect.
For more than fifteen years I have been practicing yoga, and I find my art practice reflects my yoga practice, in both there is a balance between control and letting go, which is both challenging, and very rewarding. The work therefore is as much a result of the process I have gone through to make it, as it is from any preconceived ideas I had when I started.
If you are in the Bay of Plenty area between 20 June and 3 July of 2022 I would like to invite you to come along and see for yourselves the work that I will be exhibiting at
The Carlton Gallery
36 Main Road Katikati
9 am - 4 pm Monday to Friday
10 am - 2 pm Saturday and Sunday.