As I got older I loved ceramics and pottery. During the 70’s and 80’s I started attending some pottery classes at studios in the inner suburbs of Melbourne where I lived and quickly developed skills in making ceramics.
It was when I was in my mid forties that I had a burning desire to go to Art School, I applied and was excepted into RMIT University where I completed my three year Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Ceramics and Print making. Soon after that we left Melbourne to live on the Bellarine Peninsula, that’s where I discovered all the beautiful birds and animals in this part of the world.
I see my artwork as hopefully bringing more awareness of the animals and birds that live in our environment, I am fascinated by them, they have beauty and fragility and are sociable and humorous to observe, they bring a sense of fun and can be playful with each other. I adore their amazing feathers, colours and freedom of flight. I hope by making these beautiful creatures that it helps to show how they enrich our world.
I am a descendent of the Yorta Yorta, Bangerang, people from South Eastern Australia. The natural environment with its birds and animals are very significant to me. I think of my ancestors and how they would have cared for and managed the land to protect our bird species and animals.
The plight of our birds and animals is uncertain as we have lost so many species. Their decline is partly due to the urban sprawl and the lack of the management of our land. Our environment is very sensitive to change. Removal of trees and carving up the land has caused a decline in the habitat for birds and animals and caused many of our wildlife and bird life to be endangered.
I put a plant in some of my animals and birds because the plant has to be cared for which makes the art piece more prominent. Often my birds are fired many times to get the depth of colours. I like to make black outlines and markings on my pieces to highlight parts of each bird, a bit simular to a linocut print in print making.