What Motivates you to create?
My motivation has been highest when I have been in the same space as other Aboriginal Artists in TAFE Cultural Art Classes.
Other times has been when I have visited a place and the country excited me.
I have also been motivated when given opportunities to generate works to be displayed in local exhibitions.
Where do you find inspiration?
There are a variety of motivations. the biggest motivation is taking an idea or concept and attempting to produce an artwork. Ideas pop into my head all the time. Sometimes there are too many ideas and I become frustrated in deciding which one will be best to use or develop. Over time I have had to learn that keeping things less complicated often produces the best work.
I get a lot of inspiration from discovering things while walking on country. There will be objects, colours and patterns that jump out at me. I get inspiration from things recorded in photos that are revealed in great detail when viewing them for the first time.
What is your favourite medium/style?
I have been most productive when working with acrylic paint on canvas, acrylic paint is a medium, non-toxic, easily cleaned up with water and has a reasonable shelf life. It also comes in a wide range of colours and is easily mixed.
I have limited experience with watercolour and have not painted with oils.
I have also done grass weaving and have enjoyed the creative challenges.
Experimented in making jewellery with seeds and shells has been very stimulating too.
What are you currently working on or finished?
For the last three years I have been focussed on artworks associated with TAFE Cultural Arts projects. These projects have been individual works and group pieces.
2021 was a very productive time for me which included:
Designed and produced Port Macquarie Hastings Council street sail banners.
Entered - NAIDOC poster competition - Heal Country!
Exhibition - NAIDOC week at Sea Acres.
Produced an artwork which was transferred onto a banner for Wauchope Railway Station.
As a group artist produced an artwork for the Port Macquarie Base Hospital Cultural Wellbeing Centre.
Produced an artwork that was purchased by TAFE NSW and is displayed at Wauchope TAFE.
Completed two commissioned artworks for the Community Housing Limited, and are now displayed in the Port Macquarie Office.
In 2022 I successfully:
Exhibited ten artworks at the Wauchope Art Gallery.
Produced three artworks for a Port Macquarie Glasshouse exhibition.
Produced an artwork for the paste up gallery project for Port Macquarie Hastings Council.
Entered - NAIDOC poster competition - Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!
Partnered with TAFE Cert IV Cultural Art students to produce a Harmony Day banner that displayed at the front of Wauchope TAFE.
Entered a design for Reconciliation Week Mural Project - PMHC town beach mural - Title Ngarral Birrbaydiyn Barraydiyn (Learning because of Birpai Country).
In the first half of 2023 I have:
Exhibited five artworks at the Wauchope Art Gallery.
Exhibited four artworks at the Roto House, Port Macquarie.
Become an active member of Nyiirunba Djuyalbaa - Our Story Place.
Where do you see yourself in the future with your art?
I hope continue to develop my style and utilise the concepts that come to me. At this stage my time doing art has slowed because of my involvement in so many other interests and commitments within the community. Art in the future will bring pleasure and frustration as the creative process happens.
Where was your starting point?
In 2011, I changed my job and also had open heart surgery. These two events lead me to explore doing artwork and my creative side. A lot of my early artwork was very naive and more about just having fu, exploring the process of using acrylic paint o canvas. Some of these early pieces were acknowledged as being quite good. This feedback gave me motivation to keep exploring and producing artworks.
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