A short history
During my secondary education I was individually tutored, along with my formal studies, in all aspects of visual art, including painting, printmaking, pottery, sculpture and photography. This led to being offered a place at the Victorian National Gallery School of painting. However, I did not take up the offer choosing to pursue a degree in Art and DesignCommunications at Swinburne and RMIT under Australia’s revered art historians Morris Cantlan and Betty Churcher. This evolved into a long and successful design and advertising career winning over 32 Australian national and international creative awards including New York Festivals, London Internationals, MADC, ADMA, 'Award' Sydney, Asia Pacific Steve Awards and a Cannes Lion in France, after which I was invited to represent Australia as a creative judge in Cannes.
During that time, I maintained my painting and printmaking practice. In 2003 I joined Australia’s Print Workshop in Fitzroy, Melbourne where I developed a series of figurative etchings and aqua-tints for a one man show in Yarraville. In 2005, I studied traditional Coptic icon writing (painting) approved under the patronage of the Patriarch of Melbourne. In 2011 and 2013, I complete a series of workshops led by Peter Griffen in Sydney (Winner of the National Galley NSW drawing prize and finalist of the Archibald Prize.) From 2014 to 2016 I shared studios with leading Australian artists William Eicholtz in Windsor and David Milne in Richmond.
In 2014, I was commissioned to paint the portrait of the editor of Money Magazine Australia, both the study and the final painting were accepted. I entered the Sulman Prize in 2016 (A part of the of Australia’s Archibald prize series) and in 2018 the Edinburgh Art prize for the first time, where my work received a special mention from internationally acclaimed painter and judge Anita Desoto. The painting was also awarded 5th place in the People Choice. In 2019 my portrait of Gabrielle 'Hanging by a thread' received an extra ordinary merit notation at the annual Cleveland Awards in Dunedin.
I'm very much a follower of the 'Nedrum School' focusing on the restoration of the formal and thematic options that were once available to every artist. My training in icon writing has also influenced my approach, drawing the viewer into reading the images I create rather than just observing them as simple decorative pictures. I believe great paintings have the ability to leave an impression long after the viewer has stepped away from them.
Odd - Nerdrum is a Swedish born, Norwegian figurative painter whose works are held by museums worldwide. The themes and style in Nerdrum's work reference anecdotal and narrative storytelling.
My husband and I bought a house in Dunedin in 2015 with a view to making New Zealand our home. Here, I have the space to devote more time to developing my practice and reputation. We became residents of New Zealand in 2018. My works are represented by Moray Gallery, 55 Princes Street, Dunedin 9016