Judge: Jenny Pihan
I have always had an interest in art and began painting first in watercolour under the instruction of Freya Dade, before moving to oil and pastel.
As a keen hobby painter, I began entering art shows around Melbourne and South Australia. I was fortunate to win a few prizes along the way, including the Eckersley’s Art award at Victor Harbour.
My interest in painting led me to convene several art exhibitions as a volunteer, including the annual Toorak College Fine Art Exhibition. Serving as curator of the Toorak College exhibition became a very serious passion for nearly fourteen years and led me to open galleries of my own.
I understood that running a gallery was not a hobby; it involved representing artists diligently with the responsibility that sales were the artists’ livelihood. The gallery was a seven-day-a-week commitment for the next twenty-five years. There was no time to paint for myself, and it fell by the wayside.
Since retiring, I have continued working with art shows, including Camberwell for the last three years. I have also found time to paint and have attend classes in oil with professional artist and Impressionist, Peter Smales ... I love that I have now rediscovered my passion.
