My painting began in 1996 towards the end of a 10 year sojourn in Paris where I had completed my studies in Flute. When I returned home to Sydney I enrolled in several courses in life drawing, oil painting and watercolour painting for a few years. In my first year back from France I met a group of inspiring and full time artists that I became friends with (I will write about them later) and they encouraged me to continue in my painting endeavour and exhibit.
"Yellow Flowers" Oil on Linen
I shared my time between Bundeena where my artist friends lived and where I painted and Sydney where I taught Flute. In 2004 I moved to Melbourne and losing the contact of my inspiring friends and their support I drifted for a while, but still experimenting with abstract painting which I had been doing from the beginning. However, I felt drawn to depicting real life rather that abstract works.
"Daisies" Oil on Linen
I bided my time until one day I came across Don James who has painstakingly taught me "Tonal Realism" painting as espoused by Max Meldrum at the beginning of the 20th Century in Melbourne. Don was taught by a student of Max Meldrum, Alan Martin and his other long term teacher was Shirley Bourne, a student of Sir William Dargie - a tonal painter as well. The history of all this and the incredible technique grounded me to my practice and to my place here in Melbourne. I felt that this technique and its history suited me and helped me to live in Melbourne and adapt to quite a different place both culturally and in climate to Sydney. Not to mention that in many ways, my painting is an extension of my musical experience, in the sense that tones and colours have specific musical equivalence.
"Two Jugs" Oil on Linen
"Red Teapot" Oil on Linen
"Still Life with Green Background" Oil on Linen
This is an interesting article on Tonal Realism in relation to an exhibition that was called "Misty Moderns", mentioning some key Australian tonal painters.
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