Blog

Working on my Portal Series encouraged my fascination with swales and beach access tracks along the Sunshine Coast.  ​ The Boardwalk was inspired by these meeting places of land, sea, and sky; thresholds where movement, memory, and atmosphere converge. They are places of the 'in-between', with pathways that tempt us to hurry along, in pursuit of the expansive ocean vista, that we know awaits.

This series brought together my liminal approach to art making with more formal considerations of colour and shape. After completing my Portal Series in early 2023 I spent several weeks re-investigating the work I'd made, through sketch and collage, creating a 'Wall of Curiosities', filled with mini paintings, drawings, collages and visual experiments.

Working on my latest big painting from my Habitat Series I was really wrestling with the greens. On the wall at the same time I had all the other pieces from this collection which had a multitude of lovely greens - from golden yellow to vibrant lime. I was keen to try and bring this big piece into the fold and I thought that getting the greens in tune with those in the other paintings would be the answer.

This series began as a pathway to explore and communicate historical stories and events that have taken on a deep and personal significance over time. A year in the making, these paintings permanently inhabited my studio space alongside other work which gave me a tangible and compelling reason to pause and reflect on their purpose and meaning as a body of work.

I was thrilled to have recently had the opportunity to exhibit this series at Yandina Art & Framing, in the historic town of Yandina here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Such a warm and welcoming atmosphere is to be found in this local store and gallery!

What happens when we allow ourselves to be truly curious in the studio? What if we think about our art process as a way to ask questions rather than a way of creating answers? If we approach our art making with curiosity as our reason for doing it, does it change the way we think about the resulting artwork? Is it more or less valid?