Biography
I grew up on a dairy farm at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast hinterland of Queensland. I have lived most of my adult life in Brisbane apart from four years which were spent as Principal of one-teacher schools in the Central West of Queensland and the Lockyer Valley. In 2016 I moved to Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island. This is a place I have often visited since 1980.
Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and I have dabbled in various painting styles over the years. I have developed a unique, distinctive style producing highly textured and vibrant coloured paintings. I am an artist that follows my heart.
I get much of my inspiration from my beloved Queensland landscape, where I spend many hours absorbing its nuances and power. Because I believe artists should record their world, much of my work is focussed on the changing urban landscape of inner-Brisbane. However, being country-raised, I have made many trips around Queensland and I have produced streetscapes from country towns as well as landscapes. Now, living on an island has provided me with many new subjects to paint.
Themes related to my work are based on man’s isolation within his world. Our rapidly changing urban landscape, the loss of historically significant buildings and rural decay are often explored in my paintings. The flora, fauna and beaches of North Stradbroke Island have inspired my recent works.
In the past eight years my work has been exhibited in group shows in Brisbane and regional South-East Queensland. My most recent solo exhibitions have been "Deconstruction" at Graydon Gallery, New Farm; "Here N There" at Royal Queensland Art Society (Petrie Terrace Gallery), Brisbane; "Italia - Australia" at Graydon Gallery, New Farm; "A Splash of Red" at Graydon Gallery, New Farm; "About Miles" at Dogwood Crossing @ Miles, Miles; “Out of Place” at Doggett Street Studio, Newstead; and “Brisbane Built” and “Queensland Bush & Suburbia” at !Metro Arts Gallery, Edward Street, Brisbane.
I have allowed my individualistic and personal approach to my work to flourish. I continue to explore many themes and ideas. My art allows me to capture snapshots of my world. “I believe we live on a speck of dust for a second of time. My art records that second, to be enjoyed now, and to be appreciated in the future.”
