Creative Artist - AU (2020-02)

Offering sage

advice to would-

be professionals,

this artist

believes in

believing in

yourself –

because ‘when

you value you,

the world

values you’.

PROFILE

32 artist

I

first began painting in the early 1970s – a great

time for emerging artists. I had just returned to

Australia after spending 10 years of my youth in

England with my mother and stepfather. I had a baby

and young child, and was looking for some form

of work that could be done from home. So when

I was reunited with my natural father after my 10

year absence it was fascinating to find that he had

become a professional artist and was making a good

living out of his art. He was very well known in the

‘70s – ‘80s, and living a rather exotic lifestyle on his

boat, moored in Sydney harbour.

Coincidentally, at around the same time, I met a

young woman who was also painting and selling

her work and we became friends. I was excited by

the potential for earning a bit of money and highly

motivated to give it a go – having done well in art at

school. I entered my first art show and sold several

paintings. I was hooked. After a short amount of

time the desire for sales turned into a desire to paint

good art, and I have hardly put a brush down since.

It is my firm belief that in order to do well a painter

Some form of

addiction...