Background
I have painted since childhood, but, like many of my generation, I never seriously considered art as a career. Instead, I spent a large part of my working life as a professional consultant (commercial property development). When ill health led to a reassessment of priorities, my art practice that had been merely an interest and hobby became a more serious pursuit. Largely self-taught to that point, I attended painting and printmaking classes at the Browne School of Art in Auckland to enhance existing abilities and acquire new skills.

Art Education
From 2010 – 2012 I attended evening painting classes with Matthew Browne at Artstation in Ponsonby. When Artstation disestablished its adult education classes, I attended Browne School of Art (BSA). In 2014 and 2015 I studied printmaking and attended weekly daytime classes with Alexis Neal (Ngāti Awa/Te Ātiawa) who tutors at BSA. Alexis’ CV can be viewed at http://www.alexisneal.com. In 2018 I arranged for Alexis to travel to Masterton for a workshop at the Masterton Art Club. The workshop was fully booked with a waitlist and feedback was very positive. In 2019 I similarly arranged for well-known and popular printmaker, Shane Tuffrey to come to the
Masterton Art Club for a workshop that was very well-received. I have attended several workshops on colour theory, mono printing, drypoint and acid-free etching. I attended the NZ Print Council Summer School 2021 for a 4-day workshop on waterless lithography. In January 2023 I attended another NZ Print Council Summer School for a Masterclass with leading NZ printmaker, Carole Shepheard. This 4-day workshop focussed on
artistic practice within the field of printmaking.

My Art Practice
My art is an expression of how I see the world. My paintings are large scale and abstract using
shape and colour to capture an idea, emotion or feeling. I have experience in a variety of print making techniques including relief, intaglio. My prints and are a little more representational. Whether painting or print making, use of colour is central to the finished works and over time I have developed an increasing level of expertise in colour mixing. My goal in creating work is to evoke a reaction or sensation in the viewer which rewards repeated viewings.

Tutoring Experience
I run a beginners printmaking workshop at the Masterton Art Club twice a year. I have tutored at Aratoi as part of their school holiday programme. At King St Artworks I tutored a two-day introduction to print making class.

Exhibitions
Nov 2015 - Artist Studio Collective Mt Eden Auckland - Annual end of year group show.
Jan 2018 - ConArt Studios & Galleries, Masterton.
Aug 2018 - Aratoi - Into the Blue, Masterton Art Club group show
2020 – Aratoi – Under Pressure. This was a group show co-curated with Linda Tilyard and Jo Lysaght.
2020 & 2022 – Aratoi – Kotahitanga – group show.
2022 – One of my prints is included in Proof – Two Decades of Printmaking, recently published by Massey University Press.
2023 - Selected for the Wairarapa Art Review for a woodcut print “World on Fire”