What do you try to achieve through your art?
I’m a captor of mood via the figurative and abstract forms. I create works that convey an emotion and invoke a response, and I’m fascinated with how art can make you feel something and provide a reflection of self in a way that’s comforting and with understanding.
Where is your studio?
I’m based in Brisbane and am just in the process of building my new studio. While it will be at home, it’s a separate pod that is made locally and from fully recycled materials.
Did you study fine arts or are you self-taught?
I studied art from a young age, both in and outside of school. Post high school I was accepted into art college, but life took me on a different journey. It finally came full circle around six years ago, from which point I have studied continuously in many art schools and with many professional local and international artists.
When do you feel your most creative?
I kick off my day in the studio with play – half an hour of just experimenting with my tools and loosening up. There’s always an 80s music playlist pumping in the background, or an art podcast playing. I don’t like silence. My little puppy joins me and I generally paint two hours on, one hour off. I find I get too art blind if I focus for longer than that!
What is your subject matter?
I love painting faces and creating abstracts. Both subject matters are so different and yet both capture mood; each is the opposite in its creative process. This gives me the scope to continue exploring outcomes and I really enjoy seeing how each influences the other. Ultimately, I would see them merging – but that’s a process I don’t want to rush.
What materials do you use and why?
I use acrylic paint and mixed media. I prefer acrylics because they dry fast and I’m often time poor as a mother to young children. In the mixed media arena, I love using collage, pens, pencils, and acrylic mediums to create texture and visual interest. I also love getting my hands dirty as I create, it gives me the mess fix I need in my art.
What have you been working on recently?
At the moment I’m really exploring my abstract language. I’m keen to develop my own style and for this form to then give me the voice I need to express my inner story. Interestingly, I’m finding a lot of lovely childhood imagery appear in my works and it’s fascinating to see how this subconscious voice is releasing and evolving.
Pick three art world players you would invite to
dinner.
Andy Warhol, Peggy Guggenheim and Jean-Michel Basquiat.