Where did my creativity come from and when did it emerge?

Dad’s side of the family were/are the creative types - watercolour artists, interior designers, photographers, home renovators and restorers of old cars. I recall as a child seeing some cartoons I think Dad had drawn. My sister is a creative genius with the sewing machine repurposing old garments and vintage fabric into up-cycled clothing and artwork. One of my nieces is a whizz with the camera, capturing aspects of the urban landscape that go unnoticed, and another creates beautiful digital drawings and publications. So…. I am confident my creative genes run in the family.

When did my creativity first appear? Was it when I painted my purple bike with pink house paint when I was about nine? Or maybe when I etched my sisters initials into the plasterboard in the bathroom? Opps! More likely it was when I was gifted some oil paints and paper for my birthday when I was about ten.

My first painting was of Lion Rock, off the shores of Sandy Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand, the location of many fun family holidays. Our Nanna had a book about Aucklands old houses. This book was my inspiration for a few paintings of weatherboard houses.

A collection of my first paintings - 1982-1984.

I excelled at art in high school, taking out the art award in Grade 10, 11 and 12. I still have some creations from my high school years, including a surrealism painting and collage depicting the connection between time and age. Quite profound for a 13 year old! One of my fav pieces from these years is a screen print of James Dean. It may not be perfect, but it’s the imperfections that make it uniquely me.

What to do after high school? I applied for a Bachelor of Fine Art with the Queensland College of Art and spent hours preparing a portfolio of my work - pencil drawings, pop art paintings, various examples of printmaking and collages. The effort paid off - I made it through to the next stage of the admissions process - the interview. But this is where this journey ended. I was unsuccessful and did a full pivot, studying in another of my favourite areas - sport and recreation.

Over the next 14 years I dabbled in craft and painted for a hobby when I needed and wanted to, mainly large abstract acrylic paintings in bold colours which adorned various walls in my home/s and family and friends homes. In 1995 I entered a large abstract mixed media piece “Freedom of Expression” in the Mount Gravatt show. I won, which encouraged me to enter the same piece in the Gold Coast show. My last painting as a hobby artist was in 2013.

One of my last paintings completed in 2013.

In 2024 after an 11 year hiatus I returned to the canvas, finding that rekindling my artistic passion was instrumental in nurturing my well being. I had the time, inclination and space to open the box of my old art supplies, pick up the brush, paint and explore. No specific agenda, no expectations, no timeframes - just the freedom to be.

Right now, I am enjoying the journey. Exploring my artistic talent, perfecting my unique style and delving into the world of exhibitions. Who knows where this will lead???

Where it Began