"Varuna" Painting

From an early age, I have been compelled to work with my hands, drawing, collecting, assembling, and transforming materials into something new. The act of making has always felt instinctive, a way of turning a blank surface into a visual narrative. Growing up surrounded by the sea and original artworks, I was shaped by an environment where art was valued, lived with, and respected. The ever-changing coastal landscape, nature and weather continue to inform my practice, influencing both mood and movement within my work. The life of an artist is not without challenges. It can be isolating and uncertain, marked by moments of self-doubt, fear, and failure. Yet beneath this unease is a persistent inner calling to create. I have learned to embrace vulnerability, finding liberation in authenticity, trusting that what I express holds value, regardless of what the world thinks. I love that not everyone will see the same thing in my paintings, and they aren’t meant to. I hope to meet each viewer where they are, inviting connection to their own story, memories, emotions, or sense of place. I have had the privilege of a life of creativity, an amazing art education and the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. I have learned that life is complex and in a perpetual state of change and evolution. Nothing remains the same over any extended period. My optimism, my passion for art and my continual desire to create is reflected in every aspect of my work. For me, art is about connection, an expression of the journey of life and offers a higher understanding of communication. I am always curious and experimenting, yet I find my process to be the most integral part of my art making. Layers of texture, drips, colours, welcomed mistakes and the travelling of paint build the story of my paintings. My process reveals, conceals, and re-examines what we define as beauty like collecting evidence of life lived over time; the peeling of paint on walls and the hidden potential residing in discarded remnants. I am fascinated by the beauty found in organic marks made naturally without overthinking or correcting. I am often led by the revolutionary strategy originally put forward in the "Theory of the Dérive" (1956) by Guy Debord. The dérive is defined as "a mode of experimental behaviour linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances.