My art practice started many years ago when I was a student at the National Gallery School (now Victorian College of the Arts). John Brack was Head of School and from him I leant such things as 'women are not biologically suited to be artists'. Murray Walker was my printmaking teacher back in 1965, and we have reconnected in 2024. He recently said about me 'She is an accomplished artist. She is an important artist.’
As a woman I have had to curtail my practice at times, to accomodate the necessity to work and to take responsibility for family. I live with an incurable and rare disease, so life can also be a bit of a battle.
I tend to work in series of 12. The ideas might come from my life but the images comes from the subconscious mind. There are symbolic references (mirrors, doorways, windows) that appear. These are devises I use to explore ideas. For example in 2023 the series Death of my Son, I used the gateway into the unknown as the strongest symbol. The gateway appears again in HEART, my series on loss of heart, as I take the viewer step by step through my exploration of being told that I could have a heart attack at any time.
I researched and wrote a thesis 'Alannah Coleman the woman and her role in promoting Australian artist in London 1960s' (M.A. 1990).
I had an art business buying and selling art on the secondary market, and arranging exhibitions. This culminated in taking one of my artists to Spain for an international art fair.
Since retiring and settling in to life at Rushall Park, I have had the use of a shared studio and my art practice has taken off.
Exhibition History
2025 ‘Monoprints 1970-2025’ a memoir, Swan Street Studios Gallery, Richmond
2025 ‘Love Lost and Found’, monoprints, Fitzroy North Library, City of Yarra Arts Program 2025
2025 ‘Five Portraits’ drawings curated group show, Urban Campfire, Neighbourhood Justice Centre, Collingwood.
2025 ‘HEART’ series of monoprints (an exploration of the threat of a heart attack at any time) Private View, Rushall Park, Fitzroy North
2024 ‘Rushall Park Art House joint exhibition, 4 monoprints Fitzroy North
2023 ‘On the Death of my Son’, Private View, 12 monoprints, Rushall Park, Fitzroy North
2023 ‘6 monoprints’, Eugene’s Art Window, High Street, Northcote
2023 ‘Three Artists at Rushall Park Art House’, monoprints, Rushall Park, Fitzroy North
2022 “Two artists at Rushall Park Art House’ monoprints, Rushall Park
2019 ‘Overview’, Soma Gallery, 24 monoprints, Sydney Road, Brunswick
2018 ‘Overview’ Soma Gallery, 20 monoprints, Sydney Road, Brunswick (sell out show)
1984 Joint exhibition, United Artist Gallery, part of Third Fringe Arts Festival, St Kilda, 12 monoprints
