Animals and nature inspires me. I have been fortunate to have experienced close encounters with Western Australian wildlife as a volunteer wildlife carer over several years at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Perth. Having the opportunity to interact, hand feed and care for native birds, reptiles and marsupials was an incredibly fulfilling and life changing experience that has greatly influenced my art and craft.
I work in many mediums and currently immersed in the art of needle felting. Stabbing into raw wool fibre with a sharp barbed needle hundreds of times to sculpt anything that you can imagine is thrilling to me and a great stress reliever. I enjoy both hand sewing and needle felting and often use a combination of wool and fabric in my art and craft. My fibre/textile soft sculptures, homewares and accessories are handmade using a combination of recycled and natural fibres and fabric. Wool for my needle felted creations is sourced from New Zealand Corriedale sheep who are well cared for and are not mulesed.
My art education and background has been broad and diverse spanning twenty plus years commencing with technical college, university fine art studies, to recent local workshops with local artists and online workshops with artists from across the globe.
My studio name derives from the wandering fig vine which covered the outside walls of my first studio space (aka the garage) in the Perth riverside suburb of Bassendean. The dried vine is a great fibre for weaving nests and free form baskets. In late 2016 I moved to the Perth hills suburb of Greenmount with my family to a lovely home with a great light filled loft studio space - lucky me! The vast array of native birdss and reptiles who frequent my garden are a pleasure to see everyday and a source of inspiration for my creative work.
Thanks for taking the time to find out more about me and my work!
Awards
Winner Hay Bale Challenge, York Festival 2017
Exhibitions
2017 Hay Bale Challenge, York Festival
2015 Birds of a Feather, Forest Heritage Centre, Dwellingnup
2015 Churchlands Senior High School Art Show
2015 Ellenbrook Art Awards
2015 Artists on the Walkpath, Riverside Gardens, Bayswater
2014 Community Art Exhibition, Churchlands Senior High School
2015 Birds of a Feather, Forest Heritage Centre, Dwellingnup
2015 Churchlands Senior High School Art Show
2015 Ellenbrook Art Awards
2015 Artists on the Walkpath, Riverside Gardens, Bayswater
2014 Community Art Exhibition, Churchlands Senior High School
2014 Reel
It In, Native Animal Rescue marquee, educational display installation
2014
Open, Town of Bassendean, art stall and exhibition
2014
Artists on the Walkpath, Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, Bayswater
2013
Affordable Art Affair, Sarah House, Subiaco
2013
Connecting Communities Kalamunda, Zig Zag Gallery Kalamunda
2013 St
Brigid's College Biennial Art Exhibition and Sale
2013
Midland Artsource Open Studios
2013
Ellenbrook Community Tea Party Event, The Gallery, Ellenbrook
2013 Fingers and Petals The Handmade Flower Show,The
Gallery, Ellenbrook
2013
esordio>debut>beginning The Zig Zag Gallery Kalamunda
2012
Shoe-ing Off by Fibrant, Bassendean Memorial Library
2012
Bassendean Art Awards
2012
Mazenod College Art Show
2012
Canning Art Awards
2012 Town
of Mosman Park Art Awards
Art Related Education and Workshops
2017 Hay Bale Challenge Workshop with Natalie Tonkin, Moora
2016 Needle felting online workshop with fibre artist Dani Ives, Be Good Natured
2016 Needle felting monsters with artist Bonnie Boggard, City of South Perth
2017 Hay Bale Challenge Workshop with Natalie Tonkin, Moora
2016 Needle felting online workshop with fibre artist Dani Ives, Be Good Natured
2016 Needle felting monsters with artist Bonnie Boggard, City of South Perth
2014 Baskets From Your Garden, Forest Heritage Centre with
Colleen Walker.
2014 Birds in Coloured Pencil online course by American
illustrator Valerie Webb.
2013 Basket making workshop with Collen Walker
2012 Convergence Project, natural weaving through Mundaring
Arts Centre.
2011-2013 A series of painting workshops held by local
artist Neil Elliott.
1996 Basket making workshop with Nalda Searles
1990s first and second year degree units completed in the
Bachelor of Visual Arts (Fine Art) through Curtin University (degree
incomplete).
1994 Associate Diploma in Art and Design (TAFE) (incomplete)
1993 Certificate in Art and Design (TAFE)
Art Related Work Experience
2015
Coordinated arrangements for wildlife rehabilitation volunteers to
attend workshops with Leon Hendroff to create giant illuminated cockatoo
for Joondalup Lantern Festival Parade. Created and designed
coordinating gumnut/blossom lanterns, egg/nest lanterns.
2013 Installation assistant for The Tea Party, The Gallery, Ellenbrook
2013 Installation assistant for The Tea Party, The Gallery, Ellenbrook
2013 Roster coordinator, admin support, installation
assistant and gallery attendant for Fingers and Petals The Handmade Flower
Show, curated by Nalda Searles and Judy Mary Seward held at Freight Gallery,
Fremantle and The Gallery, Ellenbrook.
2013 Teacher Assistant, Australia Day Community Art Event
by Fibrant, Town
of Bassendean.
2012 Coordinated Fibrant art group's Shoe-ing Off
exhibition, Bassendean Memorial Library.
2012 Teacher assistant for "Here Comes the
Neighbourhood", Fibrant on the Go
children's collage art workshop. Part of a series of
workshop coinciding
with the Picasso to Warhol exhibition at the Art Gallery of
WA.
2002 Mural Artist self employed. Painted children’s murals
at daycare centres.
1994 Gallery Assistant: Venus Art Gallery, Beaufort St, Mt
Lawley. Managed mail outs for exhibition openings and administrative
preparations. Gallery attendant.
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"
Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
