I grew up on a farm in the beautiful Araluen Valley. The Australian bush is a huge part of who I am; it is a constant influence on my work, the light and atmosphere of this hot, intricate land informing my every mark.

 

As Rembrandt said “without atmosphere painting is nothing” and it is the brooding essence of a place, the simple reflections of domestic life or capturing a fleeting expression that I’m interested in in my work.

 

Straddling ground somewhere between abstraction and reality I aim to relate my responses to both the physical and atmospheric conditions of the Australian landscape. My work taps into my emotional response to place. It’s energy and power.

 

The process of painting is important to me. It is both physically and mentally immersive and helps inform my mark making. I mix wax with my oil paints to obtain a buttery paint consistency that is applied gesturally using palette knives and brushes. I often paint Plein air and attend life drawing sessions regularly.