54 x 54 cm, Acrylic on Canvas, Tasmanian Oak inset frame

My recent paintings are inspired by the ocean. I like experiencing the sea and the land in tactile, hands-on ways. Living by the beach in Black Rock gives me an excellent opportunity to explore the coast and the underwater environment. Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary is visually phenomenal and there is enough painting material for a lifetime. I swim & snorkel daily and take underwater photos and videos to support my art practice in my studio in St. Kilda.

I admire how fluid water is, always taking the path of least resistance. While underwater, I find such magic & aliveness that I don’t see anywhere else. Plants become moving creatures and camouflaged fishes become plants, sticks, rocks & grasses, creating an unending stream of inspiration. This fluidity, movement and flow resonate with my whole being. Nothing is ordinary or stagnant there and my adventurous spirit finds it very satisfying. All my senses are invigorated and refreshed. It’s like entering another secret world that breaks down barriers and leads to insight and imagination. Diving below the surface feels like a metaphor for entering the subconscious world, like exploring my own deeper emotional layers through diving below the threshold of my conscious mind...The richness of colours, textures and shapes becomes deeply imprinted in my psyche and spills out effortlessly when I am in front of a canvas. My painting process is very spontaneous, impulsive and raw. I like to create quickly without thinking or editing too much. I like the words by artist Ross Larry: “I try to paint faster than I think. I am quite impatient, I paint fast”. I resonate with this approach and allow my spontaneity & intuition to flow fast. My paintings are visceral and relate to inward feelings rather than to intellect. My favourite paintings of mine are those that are a surprise to me. I always experience a sense of wonder when the painting is finished. It feels that it happened through me, rather than being “made” by me.

My paintings could be considered abstract gestural landscapes. I work in acrylic and sometimes add some oil stick, crayons or pencils. Each painting has many layers which create rich, organic patterns & shapes, dancing and interacting together.

I am inspired by the artists John Olsen, Suzanne Archer, Ross Laurie, Elizabeth Cummings, Ann Thomson, Sally Anderson, Roy Jackson, Ian Featherer, Willem De Kooning, Karel Appel and many others.
But my biggest teacher is nature itself…

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