How did you discover your passion for painting later in life?
I had been a potter, florist and gift shop owner for 35 years and with rising costs and falling profits I closed the shop. I became a receptionist, and suddenly had time to pursue painting. I had always dabbled in watercolour, drawing and oils, but never made the time to pursue it seriously. I picked oils and I kept the 5am starts from floristry, and would get up and paint before work. It was the most fun I had, with my music turned up and my mind turned down.
Your exhibition is titled “Reflections – Flowers, Chandeliers, and Vintage China.” What inspired this theme, and what message do you hope to convey through your artwork?
The inspiration for the exhibition is about both meanings of the word reflection. I like painting the light and capturing that moment when the light dazzles through the glass, or bounces off a petal. It is also about reflecting on what happiness is. Enjoying a moment of great happiness with no wish for anything more than a cup of tea, or seeing the sparkle of a chandelier.
I hope the paintings make people take a moment to reflect on the beauty that is everywhere. Beauty has an uplifting power, it can quiet the mind and stir a reverence for the complexity and mystery of life.
As someone who has explored various artistic endeavours throughout your life, how has each experience influenced your current style and approach to painting?
When I was a potter, it was always about trying to get the shape right, and the decoration to become part of the form. Floristry is all about the shapes and colours. Painting involves getting the shapes right and then about the light and the darks.
I hadn’t really thought about it, but they are all pretty similar and the design principles are the same. Hopefully the floristry has helped me develop a sense of beauty which now I try to paint.
Could you share a memorable moment or experience where you found beauty in unexpected places or moments that inspired your artwork?
I wasn’t expecting my roses in my garden to be so beautiful. I no longer have them and I am only now, after painting so many of them for the exhibition, realising how much I miss them. Some things demand to be painted. I was in Japan and I saw a wisteria in full bloom. They are outrageously beautiful, fluffy and delicate. I knew as soon as I saw them, I would paint them when I came home. I have some wisteria paintings in the exhibition. I get lost in the petals every time, but then, that is part of their appeal.
What is one piece of advice you would give anyone looking to start something later in life?
Go for it! Stop waiting and start. Starting something later in life, means you care less about what other people think which for me has been an advantage. One of my favourite quotes means more and more the older I get. “If not now, when?”
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