05:0./;B
orn in Perth, Western Australia, I was
moved to sunny Queensland at the
tender age of six weeks. I have been
back to the west once as an adult (to visit),
and I found the place delightful ... but not
quite delightful enough to draw me away
from Queensland.
I live on a 55 acre property at Wolvi, a little
east of Gympie. My home has been referred to
by one visitor as ‘your own slice of paradise’.
When my first child started walking, I
decided to make some gardens. My daughter
was (and still is) an extremely active outdoor
type of child so I needed to do something
outside with her. Gardening was a great way
for me to still do something constructive while
I watched her play. The gardens are now a
great source of inspiration for painting and
photographing flora and fauna.
At school, my favourite subjects wereArt
and English. I decided I would be a high school
art teacher and maybe teach English as a
second subject. Upon completing high school, I
proceeded to enrol in theAppliedArts course at
Queensland College ofArt. I was told that I did
not have enough drawings in my portfolio (my
senior art teacher had focused very much on
3D work), and I was directed to complete a six
month course calledArt and Design Practices, in
order to build up my portfolio.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at art college.
My favourite subject was drawing, especially
the life drawing.As the course finished halfway
through the year, I still had six months to fill in
before I could start my serious training. I had
started making my own clothes (and thought I
was pretty good at it), so I decided to apply for
a job in a clothing factory.
When the time came to reapply for my art
course, I had gotten used to earning money and
decided to just work for one more year and then
go back to school. In that next year I got married
and bought my ‘slice of paradise’and decided
I didn’t want a job where I might not be able
to choose where I lived. I decided I would be
sensible, get a normal job, and save becoming an
artist for when I got old and retired.
I needed to create. So the clothing factory
work was OK for a few years. But then it
became repetitious and boring. In my early
twenties, I decided to become a hairdresser. I
completed my apprenticeship but I was still not
quite fulfilled ... so I opened my own salon.
Hairdressing in my own business was perfect
for me, especially as it allowed me to feed my
workaholic nature and also take my children