T
he early bond I established with my natural surroundings
remains strong and ever-present to this day. I was born
into a creative family, my father being an artist, and from
very early on I knew that I would follow a vocation in the arts.
After matriculating from boarding school, I studied Fine Art and
majored in painting and ceramics. I have painted professionally
and run workshops covering different aspects of painting ranging
from methods and techniques to enabling personal expression
through the medium of art.
My work has been inspired largely from my appreciation of the
magical beauty of the natural world and my connection to spirit
within. Painting for me is a blending of these aspects, finding
expression in my work and capturing more than what meets the
eye.
Often my work and the creative act of painting becomes a
doorway to the soul, it demands an authentic opening to the
creative essence that lies within all of us – something far greater
than our mind-based awareness.
Part of the painting process for me and that which I convey to
others is our ability to quieten the mind and 'get out of the way' to
allow the flow of this gentle yet dynamic creative force.
It has been a privilege to work with my creative self, to give
expression to the myriad of stories and images, creating a unique
language of the soul. My work has become more and more infused
with sacred ceremony as I use this practice of art making as a
means to bring myself closer to my original nature.
Through the art retreats and workshops we explore and
meet those highly creative, healing and transformative aspects of
ourselves. The true creative act is the point of no mind, when we
are outside of time, and we have the opportunity to commune with
our creative/sacred self. That aspect of ourselves that is so vibrant
and alive in childhood, and that often gets stifled by our judgments
of ourselves. As we learn to quieten the inner critic, we can open
once more to the free expression of the creative, joyful beings that
we essentially are.
My current projects include working on a deck of African
wisdom cards, with my partner. These have been inspired by
the magical beauty of t