A long story short ... ish
I enjoy painting moody botanicals, jungle leaves, natives, pods, blooms and berries.
I have always loved the vibrational energy of plants.
My childhood was spent playing on my own in large steamy glasshouses of ferns, palms, and house plants.
I can still remember the deliciously earthy smell and the hushed feeling of those spaces, where delicate maiden hair ferns
and vibrant green mosses would naturalise wherever they could find the light.
Later, I worked in plant nurseries in NZ and among the humid tropical foliage of coastal Australian garden centres.
Some of the first words I learned as a child were the botanical names of the shrubs growing outside my bedroom window. My mother worked in a garden centre throughout my childhood (my playground.)
My grandmother was an avid horticulturalist who kept her absolute passion for plants alive into her mid 90's
and my great grandmother grew blooms and vegetables to sell and share in her roadside stall during the great depression.
Nature's layers of green energise me.
I feel every cell in my body come alive when I am in a woodland, a lush green glade, a rainforest or tropical garden.
When I travel I am fascinated by the vegetation and when most everyone flocks to the beach I disappear into the gardens.
Nature is grounding. She reminds me to slow down, look around, and notice the splendour
Living and creating in Matakana, New Zealand, I began painting from a desire to fill my home with original works of art.
I value peace and quiet and I see visual art as a way to communicate without words and noise.
To me art is a portrayal of life experience and perspective - there are no 'rights' or 'wrongs.'
It is a unique combination of what we see, value, and feel, and how we express that in our own way.
And when we find the courage to share our expression with the world we find the people who resonate with us.
We are surrounded by the mass-produced, the manufactured, the disposables, the digitally enhanced,
the AI generated, the devices and the instantaneous. Anything original, one of kind, or handmade
with care and time holds the energy of the maker.
Each painting has a story, from concept to completion. The excitement of the initial sketch, the concentration,
the layers, the long solitary hours in the studio, and the immense patience each piece demands
gives painting an intrinsic value to me.
My signature style is a combination of realism with stylism - with exaggerated simplicity.
I deliberately avoid the fine detail realism requires, placing more emphasis on shape, form, and the play of light.
One of the most important elements I’m looking for is contrast. Where there is contrast - there is drama and effect.
I reside in a rural setting where I feel fortunate to work from my garden studio.
The studio has become a special place to focus on my love of painting and plants.
It doubles as a gallery for new works, and prints, and is an altogether peaceful and personal space.
