Artist Statement

If there’s one constant in my creative practice, it’s colour. I don’t just use it—I celebrate it. If colour were a person, we’d be in a committed, long-term relationship. While form certainly has its place in my work, colour is my truest and most enduring companion.

I’m also driven by curiosity and challenge. When I encounter something new, it feels like an invitation to explore—and I rarely decline. That spirit of experimentation recently led me to ceramics. Though it had been on my creative wish list since I returned to full-time art study in 2009, it wasn’t until recently that I finally took the plunge.

The process of working with clay has been both humbling and deeply rewarding. It requires patience, attention, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. Ceramics unfolds in slow, deliberate stages, and there's always a sense of suspense as each piece emerges from the kiln—transformed by heat and glaze into something entirely new. I’ve grown to love that unpredictability, and ceramics has become a medium I’m excited to further explore and integrate into my ongoing practice.

My work is also deeply personal. I’m a sentimental soul, and I need to feel connected to what I create. My 92-year-old stepmother, Marigold, has a deep love for native flowers—and I, in turn, have a deep love for her. Painting the flora she cherishes allows me to honour her joy and channel it into something visual and lasting.

One day, I came across a black-and-white photograph of a young girl, taken in 1927. She has a wistful, knowing expression that captivated me instantly. Since then, she’s become a recurring figure in my work—appearing in various forms, mediums, and moods. Whether in acrylic on canvas or rendered beneath the surface of a ceramic glaze, she feels like a kindred spirit. In a way, she’s become a stand-in for community, memory, and the kind of chosen family I value most.

She reminds me of the special bond I feel with my community here in Warrnambool—a place where friendships are chosen and nurtured, and where art and life intertwine in meaningful ways. There’s something familiar about each of the “girls” I paint; they carry pieces of the people and stories I hold close.

She’s practically family now. In the best possible way.

While I also have a deep love for gouache and the vibrant energy it brings, my current focus has shifted toward ceramics and acrylics—mediums that feel especially aligned with where I am in my creative journey.