Meriol Beatty

When I was 6 my family migrated from Kenya to Australia and established a poultry farm in the Hills near Perth. I married my husband, a farmer from Boyup Brook which is where we have lived happily for 44 years.

I have always loved Art but it was a well-known local artist, Chris Latham who taught me how to do. observe, draw and explore... but most of all she gave me the confidence to pursue my interest in art and believe in myself.

Lyn Chambers another talented local artist taught me the basics of colour mixing and how to use and apply different mediums and techniques.

I taught Art, years 1-10 in Boyup Brook for 25 years and just loved it. I am now retired and creating my own art using the skills I passionately taught during my teaching career. Chris was also hugely influential here, as I believe, I developed a teaching style similar to hers. I taught my students to love art, believe in themselves, plan well, and how to apply a range of appropriate skills and techniques.

I love the outdoors, camping and exploring. Much of my painting is inspired by
nature and the places we have visited. I love colour and tend to paint more realistically. My painting on corrugated iron using bigger brush strokes and endless layering is, I think, moving me in a different direction.