Window in Montsalvat Painting

Utilizing my favorite medium of oil paint, I desire to capture the beautiful seascapes and landscapes of South Australia. When it comes to seascapes, I am drawn to the contrast of the light weathered wooden jetties and the ocean's blues and greens, expressing calmness and a sense of peace and hope of being on the beach. In landscapes, I love to showcase our rugged countryside, including the sculptural shape of the gum tree. My paintings have a calming influence on the viewer, bringing nature before their eyes. I am known for my seascapes, especially my skill in depicting water. I began learning how to paint water from many hours fishing off jetties, mesmerised by the movement and reflections of its surface. Since childhood, I've had the passion and desire to recreate what I see and experience onto paper or canvas. Both my father and grandma were landscape oil painters. I remember watching my grandma paint landscapes of the Flinders Ranges including old stone buildings, gum trees, hills and grass. Once my children were at school I decided to follow my passion to be an artist. This journey began with mixed media and drawing classes at the Victorian Artist Society in Melbourne. Here, I was inspired by my instructor, who when watching how I paint, said, 'I think you are an oil painter'. Later during further study at Victoria University, I was introduced to oil painting. Here I grew to love how rich and versatile this medium is. Since graduating with a Diploma of Visual Arts, I have concentrated on expanding my skills and my art-work portfolio. My current focus is developing my own unique style, bordering between realism and impressionism. This draws out the natural beauty of the environments captured.