On my way to Europe earlier this year, I decided to stopover in Doha to drop in on a major commission (Luminous Sands) that I completed for the Fairmont Hotel. I was pleasantly surprised to see how wonderful the artwork looked, framed in gold, in the foyer of the ballroom.
My father was an artist, and he would hold regular studio visits in our home in Southampton, England. It was an opportunity to meet potential collectors and to spend lazy Sunday mornings drinking tea and discussing the latest happenings in the local art community.
My husband and I recently returned from a holiday in Europe, exploring the cities of Paris, Bruges, Amsterdam, Vienna and Barcelona. Travel for us generally means visiting cafes, cathedrals, art galleries and wandering aimlessly in medieval laneways. I can happily say we got to do all those things.
In 2022, I created a series of paintings for Artlink Projects in the UK, and I finally have some photos of the completed works in situ. The main commission, Luminous Sands is one of the largest commissions I have worked on, and I am very happy with the results.
Every artist has their own source of inspiration and for me it is all about the landscape. The place where I live is incredibly beautiful, with beaches and river estuaries surrounded by forests and ancient volcanos. It is a backdrop that deserves to be celebrated on canvas.
In January I did a trip through the South Island of New Zealand, and it was a remarkable experience. There is something about snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes that invigorates the soul. It’s the colours, the composition, the clarity of the light that is now etched in my memories.
One of the challenges of being an artist is that you don’t often get to see your artwork in its final location. I often receive photos from collectors (which I really appreciate) but I don’t often get to see the work in person. With my Barangaroo commission I decided to seek it out.