About Me

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I come from a very intellectual family. My sisters and brothers studied Medicine, Law and Engineering. I have three sisters and two brothers. I am the ‘arty’ one, although my siblings have some interest in the arts too. I love all forms of art, and have a classical education in the arts. When I was younger I was a photographer and then a make-up artist and stylist in glamour, photographic portrait studios.

I also trained a dressage horse, a Warmblood gelding named, “Cavalier”. For those who don’t know, the Warmblood is the Olympic sport horse, and is called a “Warmblood” because it is a cross between the hot-blooded Thoroughbred and the cold-blooded Draught. The Warmblood is a horse with the size and power of the Draught and the spirit and athleticism of the Thoroughbred. Training “Cavalier” was my greatest passion. It was incredibly challenging. I trained like an athlete. I became a working pupil on a dressage property, but decided not to become an equestrian coach because I wanted to be more educated.

I then completed a B.A. in English and Drama, and a Graduate Diploma in Arts, at the University of Queensland. For my Graduate Diploma, I studied Philosophy and Poetics and wrote a Shakespearean research essay. My favourite University subject was “Feminist Philosophy”. Since then I have also studied Speech and Drama privately and gained my grade seven certificate.

While I was at University I resumed my study of music. I had begun to study classical singing when I was training my horse. I now commenced piano as well. I also resumed oil painting which, again, I had begun earlier in life. My painting teacher, Brian Perrin, had studied with a pupil of Picasso and was very technically skilled and a wonderful mentor.

Since then I’ve continued painting sporadically. I have developed my own idiom, which is quite simple and stylised. I like to paint women’s faces because, as the poem by Thomas Campion states, a woman’s face is like a garden:

There is a garden in her face

Where roses and white lilies grow…

My paintings are very colourful. I love colour and am obsessed with flowers, particularly roses. My favourite colour is red because it is the colour of passion.

I have also written a novel (about an artist) and two anthologies of poetry, yet to be published.

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