“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, labour and leisure, mind and body, education and recreation. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing.” Unknown
I paint because it brings me happiness, fulfilment and allows me to share the messages I have for the world in the most authentic way possible. Also, because I don’t know how not to. When I haven’t painted for a while I feel like there’s a big storm cloud brewing behind me full of ideas, adding up and threatening to push me over. It’s all I can do to keep going with what inspires me most in the moment, pluck that idea out of the storm and hope I can get my ideas painted quicker than the new ideas multiply.
I find peace and inspiration at the beach and in the bush but those excursions also feed the ‘idea storm cloud’, adding more new material every time.
I try to be in nature and appreciate the peace and beauty without actually looking at anything too hard in case I get an idea – but it’s too hard, I can’t help but be drawn in by the colour, patterns and changing light.
Then add two young boys in the mix who notice everything, have an eye for detail and insist on collecting reference material for me (because I’ve taken them on so many walks, kayak trips and snorkel trips to do just that).
I paint with acrylics on canvas which I stretch over a solid board and have lying flat or on upcycled surfboards. I use mostly watercolour techniques that I learnt as a child with a few added tricks I’ve taught myself over the years. I love the vibrant colours you get with acrylics and the ability to work in a large size. I have two styles that I swap between; my realistic landscape style, and a more surreal, pattern-filled storytelling style which often includes animals. I enjoy both and find each time I swap to the other I have something new I’ve learnt, to add another layer of mastery to the other.
I usually have multiple projects on the go at once and work in cycles. I’ll paint every available hour for months like it’s an obsession and when I’m not painting, I’m thinking about it; what’s next, how can I do it better, where do I need to go to observe my subject matter? Then around the three-month mark regardless of where I am up to in the collections I’m working on, it all stops. One day my mind just says, ‘That’s it, I’m done!’ That’s when all the other stuff happens, the business side of things, life admin jobs, I get way more organised with the everyday household jobs. And then, just like that, the switch flicks and I’m away again.
The underlying message in all my work which I hope shines through is what an incredible place it is we live in. Our flora and fauna are a unique treasure, a treasure worth protecting for future generations. My work is there to inspire people to go and see for themselves – whether that’s walk the local bush trail, or along the beach, plant some natives or join a conservation group or go further afield and venture deeper into our wild places.
I believe that the more experiences people have of our flora and fauna and majestic landscapes the more awe they feel, more care is taken, and better decisions are made for its future. I particularly enjoy long slow journeys in the outdoors either on foot or in my kayak. These have taken on a different look in recent years with having kids but as they grow so do our journeys and having to slow down and see the world through their eyes has massively increased the quality of my work.
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