Hakea laurina

Coloured Pencil

Private Collection

About Me

It’s tempting to say I have always known I was going to be an artist.
But that wouldn’t be true.

I enjoyed art at school, but I never believed I had the natural talent required. I would walk past art shop windows wishing I could paint half as well as the works on display. I assumed being an artist was something reserved for the gifted — a trait you were either born with or not.

In 2017, I decided to question that belief. I began experimenting with art materials, not with the goal of becoming an artist, but simply to see what might happen if I gave it time and attention.

What I discovered was that art is less about talent and more about presence. About learning to truly observe. About patience.

Over time, my work naturally gravitated toward wildlife. Through both painting and my involvement in wildlife care, I became increasingly aware of the quiet intelligence and individuality of animals. My paintings explore that shared awareness — the subtle recognition that exists between human and animal presence.

Whether working in coloured pencil or oil, I am drawn to moments of stillness: the pause before movement, the over-the-shoulder glance, the sense of being both observer and observed.