Born and raised in Western Australia I live and work from my beautiful 1930’s bungalow home and studio in Bayswater near the meandering Swan River a mere 15 minutes from the capital Perth.

 

After studying graphic art at Perth TAFE in the 1970s, where I was a student of renowned local artists Lou Lambert, Tom Higgins, Arthur Cartwright, and Cedric Baxter, I worked for many years in the printing and textile industries.

 

Whilst studying I developed an essential tremor. At the age of 16 I was embarrassed and self-conscious about it and tried to mask it as much as I could, but over time, I was able to accept the condition and to tell people why I had trouble picking up a coffee or holding anything still.

 

The tremor has gradually worsened over time however I am lucky it isn’t on the severe end of the scale, and I can manage my artwork on most days. Albeit with the odd wobble that has to be painted over.

 

Over many years outside of my working life, I gradually worked on developing my own style in painting, collage and more recently sculpture.

 

My love of 50’s, 60’s and 70’s design is evident in the stylized structural feel of most of my artwork. Although I often like to veer off this course and try my hand at any approach that takes my fancy.

 

Working most frequently in abstract painting, my current artworks are detailed, with interwoven patterns and motifs that lead the viewer to explore every inch of the canvas.

 

This is particularly so in my recent collection of acrylic paintings, based on the theme of “the seed”. My attraction to form and balance, combined with my love of the natural world, is evident in my detailed and stylised renderings of native seedpods that sit alongside more abstract elements.

 

This exploration of shapes and forms has led me to create oversized 3D versions of my Banksia paintings. Made from recycled materials including cardboard, papier-mâché and painted with my signature patterns.