Onkaparinga Dreaming 1

I explore art and the creative process as reflective practice and a tool for self-inquiry aligned with mindfulness and my own spiritual journey. While I aim to create an aesthetically pleasing visual image, it is the process itself that delivers the greatest value, offering the opportunity to experience a deeper, intuitive knowing or self. However, the theme that runs through my work is the connectedness and beauty of all things. The process of abstract painting enables me to explore inner feelings and awareness, recording an inner sense of place and experience. Using all the visual elements - marks, lines, shapes, patterns and colour - I layer the image, exploring and experiencing the outcomes of my decisions and the interplay of these elements. Over time, the image evolves and takes on a life of its own, with frequently unexpected outcomes. Imagination and curiosity drive the creative process, which often morphs the image into the semblance of a geographical landscape with an associated mood or feeling. The painting becomes the metaphor of an inner journey. Inspired by the colors of the Fauves and the directness and spontaneity of children's art, I use similar elements to create bright, colourful and joyful images.