I remember realizing how personally rewarding it would be to become an artist when I was 3 years old. After scribbling oil crayons on the walls of the family room, my parents generously supplied me with painting and drawing materials.

I think it was due to my Irish temperament that I was nicknamed “the artist” at primary school, a title I secretly relished.

At 9 years of age, I set up an art studio in the old green chook shed in the back yard and did my first still life drawing (a bottle of Stone’s Green Ginger Wine).

Later, while raising two children by myself, I attended the University of South Australia, Underdale, to do the Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in painting and print-making. I also went on to do Life drawing and print-making at North Adelaide School of Art, Stanley Street, and an Associate Diploma in Ceramics, Uni S.A. Underdale.

After those formative and instructive years in the Art institutions of Adelaide I became a member of First Street Artist Studio Inc in Brompton. There for 16 years, I developed my painting, drawing and ceramic sculpture, and functional ceramics. During my years there I designed and created many public artworks in collaborations which were creatively rewarding. .These included the mosaic Angel Lounge on Goodwood Road , and the many stobey pole murals in that same region. Footpath murals depicting those magnificent members of our human race, such as Don Dunstan, the Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, and others of that ilk.

I have a burning desire to support others to find their own signature in art. So that of course extends to tutoring and facilitating on their journey along the art path. I’ve tutored and facilitated classes at Carclew Youth Arts Centre, Bowden Brompton Community Centre, Karpandi Aboriginal Women’s Community Centre, Westcare Arts Program, and am currently facilitating Portraiture drawing groups at the Women’s Community Centre in Stepney . Life drawing, Portraiture and Painting being the main focus of these classes.

I’ve taken part in numerous exhibitions over the past years including the wonderful Geoffrey Stapleton Gallery, “d a n c e” exhibition, The Tony Bond Gallery 139, “Skulls” exhibition and last year at First Draft Gallery in Sydney, and Central Art School Exhibition Space, to name just a few.