I am a hobby artist. My journey has taken me from South Africa, where I was born, to Australia, which is now my home. I have been making pictures since I could hold a pencil. After high school I studied a Bachelor of Science degree and have been working as an Optometrist since. In between work and raising a family I have kept my interest in making art alive, falling in love with oil painting along the way. Mostly self-taught, I continued my explorations until Albany Summer School expanded my knowledge of oils and introduced pastels. Keen to keep learning, I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts at Curtin University. My studies have introduced me to new ideas about art, art history, art movements, art media and various techniques.
My main inspiration comes from vintage photographs. On my last trip to South Africa, I discovered my grandmother’s old photo album and scanned all the photos in. I love these old images, travelling back in time in my head and then reimagining the people in the pictures. Since then I have been obsessed with incorporating vintage photos in my art practice in many different ways.
Another aspect to my art practice, is the desire to reduce waste. I have found that art practice can be very wasteful. So much gets thrown away and it is rarely recyclable. Once I finished my art studies at the end of 2022, I resolved to practice a more sustainable art. I started to explore making my own paper, try and recycle and up-cycle as much as possible and source my supports for painting and photo transfer from second-hand shops and found materials. This way I give discarded items a new purpose and meaning.
I can be found on Facebook and Instagram and am delighted to do commissions.
