Falling: behind Painting

I am a largely self taught artist, working mainly in acrylic paint. A medical practitioner, I am privileged in my day to day work to share with people the highs and lows that life provides: the joy that attends the birth of a child, the terror at voices when no-one can be seen, the incomprehension of premature death, the fear, anger and denial when serious disease makes its presence known, the relief, too, at finally having an answer. I have a particular interest in mental health and have previously worked in rural and remote communities (in Australia and in Zambia), as well as with homeless persons and IV drug users. I find art is a useful tool to help me to explore, understand and to empathise with people's experiences - their reactions to self, to others and to the world around them. It enables me to see beauty in the everyday and in imperfection. I continue to develop my painting style and consider myself an abstract expressionist. I enjoy painting portraits and landscapes but am most interested in figurative work. To me, a degree of abstraction reminds us that we all see the same thing differently: our perceptions are distorted by our own experience, our mood, our biases. I also enjoy writing, most particularly poetry. My paintings are both informed by – and stimulate the writing of poetry. During my recent Artist residency in France I worked on a series of figurative works which explore what it is to be a woman - and all of the ways in which we fall. This body of work has been informed by numerous gallery and museum tours, by literature and by my own experiences. I intend to continue with this work back in my studio. My work is held in private collections across Australia, in the UK, The USA and in France. 3 pieces are part of the permanent collection at Chateau d’Orquevaux, Haute Marne, France.