One of the best things I've done was becoming a full-time artist!

 

A little about me!

One of the best things I've done was become a full-time artist!

​Art is part of me, how I live and an extension of my mind and heart.

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I am doing what I love: painting and making in my studio. If you want to become creative or enjoy supporting the Arts, 

Welcome to my website! 

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The Start.

I was born in Ngunnawal Country on Melbourne Cup Day 1975, 'Think Big' by Bart Cummings. I always think about BiG because I accidentally severed my finger off at age three. And as a result, the doctors discovered I needed open-heart surgery, and this is my second chance! Otherwise, I would die probably in my late teens. This experience has profoundly influenced my approach to life, respect for time (my impatience) and why I pull up my BiG girl pants and show up, stand up or enter the arena!

 

Childhood.

After the finger was reattached, and a year later the open heart surgery, we visited my grandmother's in Oorala- Uralla, New South Wales, for respite the difficult time became even harder. Whilst there, all our possessions were stolen, and only a few personal and household items were left in our tiny flat in one of the Kensington Government skyrises. Therefore, we had no Christmas, and suddenly, we, my sister and I were suddenly relocating 1500kms to Armidale-Uralla to be close to family for support in Regional NSW, this meant everything for our mum was changing, new neighbourhood, new climate and starting again!

I love my mum's bravery and courage to keep it together and show us little girls that we could be what we wanted to be, we could do what we wanted to do and we could have equally respectful relationship with everyone, from workplace and personal !

 

My sister, brother and I were born to a Maltese migrant father and a biracial Aboriginal-English mother who struggled professionally and financially as a single mother of three children in the 1980s during most of our childhood. 

 

Today!

 I've five wonderful grown, nearly grown two teenage children and grandchildren. However, I have had plenty of triumphant moments. I was Awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2020, was inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in 2022 and achieved many University tertiary qualifications in art and education; with limited jobs where I live and an underbelly of white fragility, it's a difficult place to be a professional not just for me but for many people of colour, cultural diversity and disability. 

 

I wouldn't let the shadow of employment opportunities break me!

 

I started showing up by becoming a full-time mum, actively sharing my knowledge and skills with local organisations as an Aboriginal woman with respect for my Community members.

 

And that's me in brief.

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