I am heavily influenced by the Australian landscape where I grew up. There is a stark fragility to the land as its interior and coastlines are constantly thrashed by wind, water, and fire. Dunes spill out into the turquoise ocean. The sky fills up with burnt orange and pink at sunset while termite mounds jut up out of the ground seven feet high fooling you into thinking you’re on the surface of the moon. I mix these images with a palette that is drawn from the many diverse environments where I’ve lived across Europe, Asia, and California.
I use a variety of mixed media to create my current abstract works. There is a driving vision behind each of my pieces and the process of bringing that vision to life is about finding the rhythm in the moment. It’s extremely physical. The brush strokes are intuitive and spontaneous. I apply and remove layers of paint to reveal some elements while keeping others elusive. There is a peaceful energy that runs throughout my work. Much of that has to do with using the colors of the earth as a way for the viewer to reconnect to self.
The finished paintings open up a mythic space for the viewer inviting them to cross from one world into another. The painter Mark Rothko said, “A picture lives by companionship and quickening in the eyes of a sensitive observer.” I believe that an active viewer is what gives paintings life and what allows for a dialogue between the two to take place.
Education:
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology- Photography
National Art School Sydney Australia