My past career as a Secondary Visual Arts Teacher, Art Gallery/Art School proprietor and tutor has underwritten my passion as a practicing artist. In retirement, I maintain a strong relationship with the Arts sector, promoting the values of artistic practice to problem solve, induce sound wellbeing, explore materials/design, and develop individual confidence and skills. It is a wonderful opportunity to give encouragement to artists and makers, of any skill and interest level, because of the accrued benefits of such intellectual and practical activity.

Principally, I am a specialist free-motion embroiderer/drawer working with Textiles, who also pursues however the diversity of Mixed media, Collage, Illustrative Drawing and printing my imagery on Canvas for a domestic market. I source a wide range of recycled fabrics and embellishments to use as the core of my work, trusting the worthiness and integrity of these off casts to bring new and inspiring meaning to my work. Colour and textural relationships are important to me, hence I tend to ‘work and rework’ my surfaces to achieve maximum visual impact. This intention is evident in the complexity worked into the surface, and the detailed integration of ‘what ever it takes’, to strengthen and embellish the design.

Influenced by the traditions of Abstraction, Byzantine and Japanese Art, the drawings of Ernst Haeckel, Human characterisation, and textural Landforms, my artwork is generally created in a series of works rather than one-off pieces. This intense focus on the subject and its potential, allows me to create a sequential narrative to expand my ideas which I perceive as important about the series itself.

Having been a regular Judge and Guest Speaker at Community, private and student graduation exhibitions, I continue to maintain a current understanding of the art practice of others. It is this advocacy of the value of art practice that gives considerable support to my practical pursuits, to produce work that is unique and often somewhat whimsical. I conduct workshops in any of the varied fields of my art practice.

I sponsor the Drawing As an Art Form Award annually for the Atwell Gallery Youth Art Awards, Melivlle and judge both the drawing and textiles category of that exhibition. I regularly donate my work to organisations for the benefit of fundraising, in order to promote goodwill, and greater understanding of differing art practices - all being part of my philosophy on accessibility of Art.

I am a recipient of the Professional Teaching Council of WA Inc Outstanding Profes- sional Service Award, Fra Angelico service to Catholic Education Visual Arts and have my artworks purchased for the Melville City Council Textile Collection (2) and Belmont City Council Art Collection. I received a Highly Commended $5000 prize in the Mandorla Art Award 2012. Having received many certificated Highly Commended Awards for my work, I am always encouraged to strive for excellence. I have in excess of 220 works in private collections Nationally and Internationally and needless to say, I love what I do.

Memberships/Affiliations (past/present):

• Western Australian Fibre & Textiles Association (past Executive)

• ArtEd WA (past Executive)

• Nannup Arts Inc (past Executive/present committee)

• Attwell Gallery Youth Art Awards (sponsor/judge Drawing prize and Textiles)

• Beverley Artist In Residence (heavily involved in Back to Beverley Local exhibition
  2022)

• Nannup Flower & Garden Festival Street Decoration 20/21/22/23

• Blackwood River Art Trail Committee (Executive)

Participation in Exhibitions/Arts Events:

2024               Artist in Residence Beverley (Dual exhibition with Sally Watts)      Blackwood River Arts Trail (BRAT24)

2023              Dalwallinu Arts Festival Judge All sections Art/Photography +)
Port School Art Exhibition, (donated works for Malaysian Sister School fundraising)
Flower Power Bonnet & Entrance Eco Store, Nannup (coinciding with Nannup Flower & Garden Festival)
Solo exhibition One & Only Earlywork Gallery, South Fremantle
Continuous display of work in Melo Velo, Nannup (ceasing in June 2023)

2022             Best Kept Secret, group exhibition Melville Cossack Art Awards Beverley Art Awards
Busselton Art Awards Salon des Refuse
Busselton ArtGeo Court Gallery Rotational Exhibition
Denim & Diversity (Supper Room Gallery, Nannup) Blackwood River Art Trail
Works displayed in East End Gallery, Beverley
Blackwood River Artists, Collie Art Gallery (Group exhibition) Port School Art Exhibition (Donated works for fundraising) Beverley Artist in Residence (with two mosaic artists)

2021              Beverley Art Awards (Highly Commended)       Blackwood River Art Trail          Busselton ArtGeo Court Gallery Rotational Exhibition
Nannup Arts Member’s Exhibitions (Supper Room Gallery)
Cossack Art Award
Melo Velo Cafe, Nannup (Rotational exhibitions)
Port School Art Exhibition (Donated works for fundraising)
Beverley Artist in Residence (Solo)
Creativity is Not Linear (group exhibition at Supper Room Gallery, Nannup)   Textiles workshop, Bridgetown

2020              Melville Art Awards Canning Art Awards        Beverley Art Awards
Hanging By a Thread (Holmes a Court Gallery)      Kalgoorlie/Boulder Art Awards
Port School Art Exhibition (Donated works for fundraising)     Art Extraordinaire, Bunbury + Donated work for fundraising     Beverley Artist in Residence
Create It Wild Workshop Weekend, Nannup (Textiles)      Drawing/Textiles workshop, Bridgetown