Drawing and design have always been a major part of my life. I never assumed I would do anything else. I studied at Art College in England for 4 years.
Figure drawing and illustrating your collections was a major part of my education and I can value it now that I am no longer in the mainstream fashion industry where timelines were always yesterday and never realistic.
In 2009 I had an exhibition with my mother at the Refinery Gallery in Nelson called “Framed View Point”. It was the start of a new direction for me. I took to the streets with a director’s chair, a long sleeved linen jacket and a large hat. I made a series of 10 line and coloured pencil drawings of buildings and memorable Nelson locations. My mother selected views of the Nelson waterfront and boats from her collection of oil paintings. Some of my work sold! I still sell prints from this artwork at the Arty Gallery.
In 2014 I entered a series of chalk pastel portraits of cats into the Nelson Art Expo. I still reproduce these as greetings cards and they sell well at the Arty Galley.
In 2014 I decided my self development courses should now include art classes and I took up figure drawing classes. This has been a wonderful experience and under the direction of tutor Ronette Pickering my drawing skills have developed into risk taking beyond my expectations. I was so pleased with my work I had some of it framed and joined the Arty cooperative in order to exhibit and sell some of my artwork. I still attend these classes and have far too much artwork stored in my Founders Park work shop. Please contact me and make an appointment to view this work. There are many styles and colours to choose from.
2019; This year has seen a big change of direction for my artwork. Oil painting on canvas is a first ever for me, unless you consider painting by numbers as a child worth considering?
My mother was a painter and a great supporter of my work. She helped me in the MADCAT workshop heat-setting the screen printed textiles until her death 2 years ago. I now have her seemingly endless collections of paints and partly finished canvases to rework. I have surprised myself with this new direction – larger than life flower paintings in glorious bold colour. You can see this work exhibited at The Arty Gallery.
I have now made high quality A3 Giclee, signed limited edition prints that you can buy on line go to e shop and select Artwork or from the Arty Gallery in Nelson.
I have now photographed some of my Flower paintings and have them in my on line shop. Please go to e shop and select Artwork. If you want to meet me in person and talk about my paintings then please visit me at the Arty Gallery on Tuesday morning between 10 and 1 pm.
