Welcome to my website
Portraits in oil are my passion although as you look through my ART portfolio, I do anything that feeds my creative drive.
MY JOURNEY
Born in Dunedin, I grew up on the Taieri Plains, one of 10 children on a 10-acre farm let. I am now all grown up and looking back, my life journey has been full of happiness, sadness, but mostly opportunity.
From a very young age I had always known I had a love of dance, drawing, painting, and art in general. I am sure art was struggling to surface, I am sure!
Growing up as a child my creative art form was Ballet. At 13 years old I was asked to join the South Island Ballet Company in Christchurch until I worked in the big wide world. Later, family life encompassed Rock’n’roll and I danced on to achieve two NZ National Champion titles and an Australasian title in our age section. My mother educated us in the arts early. Many Art Galleries and museums feeding my inner passion. I loved and was fascinated by the old master’s form of art. However, my creative spirit was shelved until later, put on hold for many years while I brought my family up and then joined the workforce.
Time was always an issue and as you most probably know, you do need time to think and feel the passion for your next project.
The right time eventually arrived. I retired! Now a young artist of 72 years I am making up for lost time. I have continually painted every day for the last 3 years, eventually finding my love in oil paints. It was always inside of me. Working alongside the best tutor ever, I am always learning new techniques. Always learning as I am self-taught.
I have found my long-lost niche in life……. I hope you love my work. My passion is on my canvasses!
MY MEDIUM AND INSPIRATION
I use different mediums for specific projects…… Each idea/image manifests into its own individual style. I love using oils for fine detailed work and works that have movement and colour. I enjoy painting in different mediums (oil/acrylics/mixed media) and have found joy in different genre’s - Landscape, seascapes, portraits, or family abstracts/scenes.
My true love is portraiture, and so I have been concentrating on painting in the Flemish style of painting. The way my portraits come to life under my brush it is hard not to talk to my subjects whilst painting. At completion of the painting, I feel I know the subject/s personally. This is due to taking personal care with your image, subjects’ frailty/strength and personality and taking an emotional care in showing justice to the original image.
The Flemish method of portraiture painting does take longer, however my clients love the 3D effect...and they are excited with their result whether it is a landscape, abstract scene, or portrait. I would be happy to talk to you about your specific requirements.
