Creativity is my passion. My Grandmother and teachers at primary school taught me to sew and make traditional crafts. As an adult I found many ways to express my creativity. Some of these including knitting, crocheting, weaving, macrame, scrapbooking. My young married life was full of creative activities which I enjoyed including landscaping, gardening, house designing and interior decorating and homeschooling my two children.
2001, I took an “Introduction to Arts” course that started my explorations in painting. The following year I moved to the Central Coast of New South Wales, joined local art societies and started participating in workshops and society meetings. As I started to exhibit and sell my paintings I started to view this hobby more professionally.
2011, I decided to resign from my nurse-carers position and pursue this creative path. This has involved turning the downstairs area of my home into a workshop space and gallery, “Studio on Bradleys,” developing a facebook profile and this web page.
Art helps me to personally connect my own hands, heart and mind and gives me a way to connect with people in my community. I also enjoy helping others find their own creative voices.
My art practice has grown and continues to change.
After painting for 15 years I picked up my old crochet hook and produced an exhibition of soft sculptures.
I've made friends with my old sewing machine and used it to up-cycle denim producing a range of handbags.
I've discovered free-style weavings using a variety of re-cycled textiles and found materials.
Recently I've embraced the Slow Stitch Movement so now I'm making art pieces using textiles, needle and threads.
Plus I continue to coach and participate in different social art & craft groups.
2001, I took an “Introduction to Arts” course that started my explorations in painting. The following year I moved to the Central Coast of New South Wales, joined local art societies and started participating in workshops and society meetings. As I started to exhibit and sell my paintings I started to view this hobby more professionally.
2011, I decided to resign from my nurse-carers position and pursue this creative path. This has involved turning the downstairs area of my home into a workshop space and gallery, “Studio on Bradleys,” developing a facebook profile and this web page.
Art helps me to personally connect my own hands, heart and mind and gives me a way to connect with people in my community. I also enjoy helping others find their own creative voices.
My art practice has grown and continues to change.
After painting for 15 years I picked up my old crochet hook and produced an exhibition of soft sculptures.
I've made friends with my old sewing machine and used it to up-cycle denim producing a range of handbags.
I've discovered free-style weavings using a variety of re-cycled textiles and found materials.
Recently I've embraced the Slow Stitch Movement so now I'm making art pieces using textiles, needle and threads.
Plus I continue to coach and participate in different social art & craft groups.
The Mask artistic Self-Portrait - A visual representationof my art practice. (up until 2018)
Accepting the Tuggerah Lakes Art Society challenge of painting a mask, mounted on a 20cm x 30cm canvas, I endeavoured to visually represent aspects of my art practice. The result is this artistic self-portrait.
This piece has elements of the varied and numerous creative disciplines that I have explored over the years, such as - found-objects art, pen work, painting, jewellery, paper and textile work plus art forms using knitting and crochet. I feel it represents me:-
Accepting the Tuggerah Lakes Art Society challenge of painting a mask, mounted on a 20cm x 30cm canvas, I endeavoured to visually represent aspects of my art practice. The result is this artistic self-portrait.
This piece has elements of the varied and numerous creative disciplines that I have explored over the years, such as - found-objects art, pen work, painting, jewellery, paper and textile work plus art forms using knitting and crochet. I feel it represents me:-
- My ideas could not be contained within the mask shape but have spread to the mount canvas and overflowed down the sides.
- The painted beach scene reflects my attachment to the Central Coast.
- The “tangle heart” and “mandala” in pen work are samples of my active mediation.
- The mask is attached on a slant because I’m proud of my artistic “bent.”
- I wear glasses.
- I support the ideas of up-cycling and have not hidden the fact that the canvas is re-cycled.
- Part of my business card has been attached to the left edge of the canvas with details of my web and Facebook pages, all of which I designed. I find creativity in using the computer.
- Although the overall piece is busy, there is harmony and balance, a suitable metaphor to describe one aim in my art practice and my life.
Awards
2023 - Highly Commended for a textile stitch work on linen at Women in Art - The Entrance Gallery, NSW.
2019 - Highly Commended, for a pastel entitled " Toowoon Bay. ""Women in Art", at the Entrance NSW.
- Viewers Choice- TLAS - meeting challenge for painting "Segregated Minority."
2015 - 2nd place, Tuggerah Lakes Art Competition, "Texture" for soft sculpture called "Falling Down."
2014 - 1st place non-indigenous section, Reconciliation Exhibition, Gosford Regional Gallery.
2007 – Grandma Moses Art Competition, 1st Place, Section 5 (Inspired by the Coast.)
2006 – Viewers’ choice within the TLAS meeting.
Donations and Public Places to View Work
2012 - Gosford Hospital. (Hospital purchased 2 small abstract paintings.)
2011 - Nepal children’s relief, pastel painting for auction.
2008 - Central Coast Parkinson’s Group, pastel painting for a raffle.
2006 - Adventist Retirement Homes, Normanhurst, Sydney, paintings for walls and foyer.
Memberships
2023 - The Makers Studio - East Gosford (print makers and textile artists)
2020 - 2022 - ArtSpace Pop-Up Gallery, 211 The Entrance Road, The Entrance, NSW.
2002 - 2021 - Tuggerah Lakes Art Society
2014 - 2019 - Central Coast Art Society
2017 - Toukley and District Art Society.
2016 & 2017 - National Association Visual Artists.
Education
2017 - 2020 - Personal art/creativity sessions with Ingeborg Zotz.
2016 - Abstracts with Felicity O'Connor.
- 12 week online course - The Artist Way with Felicity O'Connor.
2012 - Oil workshop with Noelene Miller.
- Abstract workshops with Jean Scott.
2011 - Professional Portfolio and Proposals , Wyong TAFE. NSW.
- Drawing with Graham Balchin - one term only.
2010 - Abstract Art and Mixed Medium workshops with Jean Scott.
2001 - Introduction to Arts, Healesville TAFE. VIC.
- Pastel Painting with Anita Dickson.
2023 - Highly Commended for a textile stitch work on linen at Women in Art - The Entrance Gallery, NSW.
2019 - Highly Commended, for a pastel entitled " Toowoon Bay. ""Women in Art", at the Entrance NSW.
- Viewers Choice- TLAS - meeting challenge for painting "Segregated Minority."
2015 - 2nd place, Tuggerah Lakes Art Competition, "Texture" for soft sculpture called "Falling Down."
2014 - 1st place non-indigenous section, Reconciliation Exhibition, Gosford Regional Gallery.
2007 – Grandma Moses Art Competition, 1st Place, Section 5 (Inspired by the Coast.)
2006 – Viewers’ choice within the TLAS meeting.
Donations and Public Places to View Work
2012 - Gosford Hospital. (Hospital purchased 2 small abstract paintings.)
2011 - Nepal children’s relief, pastel painting for auction.
2008 - Central Coast Parkinson’s Group, pastel painting for a raffle.
2006 - Adventist Retirement Homes, Normanhurst, Sydney, paintings for walls and foyer.
Memberships
2023 - The Makers Studio - East Gosford (print makers and textile artists)
2020 - 2022 - ArtSpace Pop-Up Gallery, 211 The Entrance Road, The Entrance, NSW.
2002 - 2021 - Tuggerah Lakes Art Society
2014 - 2019 - Central Coast Art Society
2017 - Toukley and District Art Society.
2016 & 2017 - National Association Visual Artists.
Education
2017 - 2020 - Personal art/creativity sessions with Ingeborg Zotz.
2016 - Abstracts with Felicity O'Connor.
- 12 week online course - The Artist Way with Felicity O'Connor.
2012 - Oil workshop with Noelene Miller.
- Abstract workshops with Jean Scott.
2011 - Professional Portfolio and Proposals , Wyong TAFE. NSW.
- Drawing with Graham Balchin - one term only.
2010 - Abstract Art and Mixed Medium workshops with Jean Scott.
2001 - Introduction to Arts, Healesville TAFE. VIC.
- Pastel Painting with Anita Dickson.
