I loved art as a young child and drew and painted for fun during my teens. 

Art only became a serious part time venture after discovering a new found love for capturing what I see after a few lessons from a family friend in 2011. A beautiful friend of my Mother was diagnosed with macular degeneration and, knowing that her sight was under threat, I asked for her to show me how to paint like she did. After 6 lessons at her home in Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia, I was hooked. She had passed on some of what she had learnt from David Moore, a member of the Twenty Melbourne Painters and I have never seen the world the same since.

After learning the basics of Tonal Impressionist painting, I began to experiment at home with still life, painting every day items in my home or from the local markets. Fruit and vegetables captured my interest initially, as well as the simple beauty of how light interacts with glass and pottery. 

My tutor had said I would learn lessons hard and fast if I painted outside from life. With these words in my head, I then discovered the challenge and joy of painting 'plein air,' a french term for painting outdoors; in the moment to capture the essence of what is observed. Moving light, bugs, wind, rain, hunger, potential sunburn and the distraction of good company and conversation are all aspects that make this type of painting a challenge but where lots of learning occurs!