I’m a self-taught artist and have always loved painting and drawing since I was a small child. I’ve always had a love of animals and wildlife and these have always been my favourite subjects. Throughout my school life, I tried various mediums and studied mixed media and graphic design at the Southland Polytechnic in my mid-20s. I had my first art exhibition (acrylic paintings) in 1998 before movin
g to the UK. I stayed in Wales for a time with family and then spent a short time in Glasgow (where my Father and Grandmother came from with the intention of studying at the Glasgow School of Art. But after a weekend visit to Edinburgh I fell in love with the beautiful city and moved there to study at the Edinburgh College of Art instead. While continuing my art courses in acrylic painting there, I also took up the medium of pastels for the first time and this has been my preferred medium to work with ever since. After the tragic death of my partner in Scotland in 1999, I returned home to New Zealand with my then 2-month-old son "Stephen" and eventually purchased my small farmlet in Otatara (the same rural area that I grew up in.) I named the property "Awen Grove" ("Awen" being a Welsh/Celtic word for "inspiration")
It took me a few years and a lot of hard work, but while I was still a single Mum (and scratching to make ends meet) I still managed to renovate an old farm building on my property into a studio using upcycled materials. I'm definitely not a great builder and it's a very basic space, but it is warm and dry and with the abundance of native birds and an extensive menagerie of pets surrounding me I find it a wonderful place to work and create in. In 2015 (and getting on in my early 40s) I finally returned to my art studies (extramural at the Learning Connection Wellington N.Z) and have now completed 3 years of study, receiving my Certificate, Diploma & Diploma with honours in Art & Creativity. Today, thanks to my many returning clients and the support of my wonderful Husband Pete, I have been able to pursue my dream of working full-time from my home studio creating commissioned portraits and my own original artwork, Im also now teaching pastels and acrylic painting from my studio and at the Southland Education Building in Invercargill. My goal now is to renovate another building on the property (nicknamed "the Bothy') and turn it into a gallery and teaching space that will host up to 8 people for pastel workshops and paint parties!
