Tell us a bit about your artistic discipline.

I’m a contemporary visual artist; I create artworks that express the energy of a subject, idea or experience. My speciality is creating wax paintings that are often abstract and always expressionist. Wax is applied to wood panels using heat, and then manipulated to create the artwork.

What cities/towns have you lived in (or spent more than a few months in) beginning with the place of your birth? 

I was born and raised in Auckland and then moved to London at the tender age of 28! After a few months I moved to the countryside and lived there for 14 years; this is where I taught myself how to paint, finally allowing myself to express my creative side (which was the dominant one!)

I became drawn to painting with encaustic wax and how different it is, and I enjoyed how it frees the tendency to engage the mind too much and allows true expression.

What are the earliest stories you remember hearing? The ones that told you about the world? 

My favourite childhood book was Daisy Dog’s Wake Up Book by Ilse-Margret Vogel. This little dog wakes up early and is so excited for her birthday that she goes around everyone she knows and asks them to “wake up, wake up”.

I remember one particular part where she says, “The sun is shining in the sky, wake up, wake up, I say!”

This spoke to my heart and lifted me out of the day-to-day to a space where I wanted to share nature and the lovely things I could see around me, and to appreciate that, feel light, and share it with people. I had a sense of that not happening with the adults around me or in the world as it felt at the time, so it resonated with how I felt inside. To this day I feel similar, wanting to lighten things up and get everyone to share that; to elevate out of the ‘dark side of life’ and be in the light. I guess this is why now, as an intuitive, my paintings are all about light.

What’s your favourite Bay of Plenty landscape, park, building, location, suburb, or side street? Why? 

I’m a nature lover so I’ll often be on beach walks, but I also love the Historic Village for its historical architecture and its existence as a place of creators.

What’s an average day in your life at present?   

I check social media and emails, meditate and do yoga. Or, I’ll go for a walk and then process various work on the computer. In the afternoon I try to paint or work on various art projects/website/social media tasks. This often runs well into the evening!

What music was present and still memorable from your youth/adolescence?  

Rock, pop and grunge. Because rock ‘n roll was enjoyed by my mother, and my father often sang, I ended up with a Casio keyboard and loved experimenting with sounds on that!

Then I wanted to play piano, but we weren’t able to buy a piano, so I got a guitar instead and started playing classical guitar at school. I tired of that very quickly, and asked to go to another teacher – one that would teach me how to play the blues (and Stairway to Heaven!). That must have been a sight, me in my school uniform requesting that! Needless to say, I was told that would take some practice.

The bands that I listened to ranged from Duran Duran to Pearl Jam to The Rolling Stones. I have eclectic taste. I still listen to these bands today as well as Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, Muse, LAB and many more.

For you as a creative person, who are three influential artists or thinkers?   

I love the poet and mystic Rumi’s deep meanings in his writing, and how he plays with words; he too was passionate about the arts. His expression is both timeless and real, and his spiritual side resonates with mine.

Monet’s paintings are a favourite of mine; his impressionistic style has definitely inspired me, as I am drawn to less realism and more to impressionist/expressionist works.

Maurits Cornelis Escher’s graphic work is downright clever, and I enjoy how his art plays with perspective and leads your gaze around.

Artists appreciate art in other forms; as you are expressing your art, all of these artforms you’ve seen inspire your own work. It is almost holographic, the thoughtforms and ideas that go into the melting pot.

If you went away from the Bay of Plenty for a long time and then came back, what are the first three things you would do or visit?   

I would find out what is going on in the art scene, visit my favourite walks and go and see some live music.

Looking back at your teen-age self: what one sentence describes that person? 

A girl who wants to be understood, connect, be creative and have some encouragement.

If you had to eat the same meal every day, what would it be?   

A roasted vegetable salad with lots of variety, fresh herbs and a gorgeous dressing, and a glass of red wine.

What are you planning for 2022/2023 that nobody knows about yet?   

That would be telling… Seriously though, I’m focusing on completing works to exhibit and looking at various projects.

Who are your favourite or most admired figures from history? 

Ghandi is inspirational. To have a selfless life dedicated to freedom (which is our birthright) and succeed in the way he did – I admire his courage.

Nelson Mandela inspires me in the same way; these iconic figures have helped shape the world today. I admire such strength; it is a leaf we can take out of their books to help us though changing times.

I also enjoy Thích Nhất Hạnh’s mindfulness and reminder to bring ourselves back to balance.

In one sentence, can you define art? 

Art is an expression of the soul.

What is missing or lacking from your Bay of Plenty community or environment? 

Funding for individual artists that haven’t gone to art school and are of any ethnic origin who, through their artistic endeavours, influence and inspire up-and-coming generations.

Where would you like to live, but have yet to? 

I often dreamed of living in Italy – it is easy to get lost in the beautiful buildings and art, and I love the culture. I do miss the art culture and opportunities of places like London and Paris. Living in the countryside in Tauranga is wonderful though, and perfect for creating art. So, right now, I feel I am in the best place and can see why people are constantly immigrating here.

What word of advice would you offer an aspiring creative person?  

Be yourself. The world is now accepting every individual who is being true to who they are! Don’t let yourself be drawn into art world ‘rules’ and history; that changes on a daily basis in this fast-moving world.

What’s the biggest problem about life in New Zealand? How you would solve it? 

Bullying. I have never encountered so many workplace bullying situations on any of my travels to the extent that I have here in New Zealand. Maybe it’s a small town thing, I don’t know. It needs to change. Maybe it should be mentioned in schools today – that if you are ever in that situation, you have support. You might have to find that yourself but it is there. I would run an anti-bullying campaign in schools and in the media.

What is your dream of happiness?  

I know now that happiness really does come from within so it doesn’t matter where you are or what you have. Now the dream is just to maintain that, keep forging creative connections and keep painting!

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself/your organisation?

I want to continue to channel energy through my art and connect to people on an emotional level. The tough times you go through in life encourage you to grow as a person, and that extends into your art. It will be so interesting one day to review my lifetime of art and see the journey.

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