Creative History

 I was born into a musical Anglo- Indian family in Kent, England in 1962.  I emigrated to Australia in 1986 and have since lived around Australia and in Santa Cruz, California. I have lived back in Western Australia near Fremantle since 2008.

Painting and Drawing Workshops and Courses

June 2010             Facilitated Art retreat in Panestanan, near Ubud Bali.  Theme of exploring the Balinese Mandala within.

2008-2010            Wrote and facilitated a series of 4 – 8 weeks courses that allow for painting and drawing skill development and expression of our creative authentic self.

How to draw people in a landscape or interior; understanding colour and light in form; Creating habits that sustain a thriving Life; Temple of your heart; flying in pastels, master painting techniques; Mandalas; Manifesting  a life that thrives; Tree of Life: Journeys on water.

2009                       Co-wrote and facilitated a series of 8 weekend workshops with colour therapist and artist Paula Bradley. They were based on the transformation of self through the exploration of complementary colours.

2007                       One Day Workshops on Releasing Your Creative Self, Santa Cruz Home Studio, California

2006                       8 week courses: Creating your Life in Balance, Santa Cruz Home Studio, California

2004-5                   Creating Your Life in Balance.                                                                                                                          8 week course using colour to create the life you want, co written and taught with colour therapist Paula Bradley at Kidogo Art Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia

2004                       Dance to Draw Workshops

 8 week courses using salsa/samba dance as a way of warming up the physical and creative self before drawing from the heart.

2002-4                    Dance to Draw Workshops

Community Art

Nov 2010               Building Resilience in Art Exhibition, opened at  Kulcha , Fremantle and later at Alma St Centre, Fremantle Hospital. A special research project with BSc Meagan Shand supported by Fremantle Multicultural centre. Facilitated 10 women from 10 diverse cultures to create vibrant and powerful body sculptures that demonstrated the importance of finding identity, inner strength and community.

2008-2010            Weekly classes at Fremantle Multicultural Centre with Migrants and Refugees to release creative self and promote well-being.

2003                       Artist in Residency at Beehive Montessori School. Created costumes and huge sculptures in Papier Mache for the Fremantle Festival Parade with 180 children, parents and teachers.

2002                       Artist-in-Residence at Beehive Montessori Primary School, WA. Created a mosaic garden play area with the children reflecting its Aboriginal Site.

2001                       Commissioned by the Real Sing Choir in Fremantle Art Centre to create backdrop for Performances. Consisted of a wall of 1000 candles.

Artist- in -Residence at Beehive Montessori School, Mosman Park creating costumes and large sculptures with 180 children and parent body for the Fremantle Festival Parade.

2001                       Southcare Community Centre- 2 workshops with Aboriginal Elders expressing their life's journey through miniature water colours resulting in 3 'mosiac' pieces.

Day workshop with Aboriginal students at Curtin University celebrating and expressing their qualities that they enjoyed giving to life. Mixed media resulted in each student producing an individual tapestry.

2000                       Monthly workshops with youth group on 'Spirituality in Your Life.'

1998                       Percent for Art commission to create a large mural for the Mandurah Hospital Children's Ward.

1995                       Created an image for the Mosfest Poster for Mosman Park Council

Co-ordinated a mosaic with unemployed youth through Fremantle Council

Exhibitions

2004                       Solo Exhibition 'Aspects of the Heart'

Kidogo Art Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia

2000                       Gadfly Gallery, Dalkeith, Perth, Western Australia.  (Installation, mosaics)

Solo Exhibition ”The Journey of the Black Madonna”

Moores Building , Fremantle, WA

1992-3                   Beaver Galleries, Canberra; Cintra Galleries, Brisbane; Griffith Park Gallery, Murwillumbah Riverhouse Galleries, Queensland

1991                       Warana Festival, Brisbane, Queensland

1989                       New Editions Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia Perth Festival Fringe Festival Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. Co-ordinator of Chinese Tiennnamen Square Exhibition Perth Institute of Contemporary Art

1988                       Matilda Bay Exhibition, Western Australia Red Cross

Exhibition, Perth. WA

Commissions

2010                       Illustrated novel jacket for “The Adventures of Charlie and Moon” by Martin Meader

2008                       Murals in California in private homes

                                Created a floor to ceiling Tree of Life mural that wrapped around a dining room Santa Cruz

Created a series of 10m Garden murals in Los Gatos home

2006                       Illustrate the novel, “A Young Orangutan Living in a Loving Home,” by Esther Kerr.

2001                       Private commissions for creating sacred spaces in gardens with mosaics.

• Two 2 x 1m mosaics for Park St Centre (Healing Centre) in Subiaco, WA.

• Private Garden Mosaics (3 x 2m)

1996-1997            Private Commissions for oils and pastels.

1996                       Commissioned by Barking Theatre Company to supply painting for poster and all publicity for the inaugural Perth International Children's Festival.

Commissioned by restaurant owners in Market St, Fremantle to design piazza area.

1995                       Commissioned by Sandrino Café, Fremantle to redesign interior and exterior of restaurant. This involved constructing and installing a 2 x 12 m length mosaic on interior walls and decorative elements to exterior: refurbishing the restaurant and designing a logo which was incorporated throughout the restaurant and reflected in a floor design made from steel, brass and ceramic.

Qualifications

1990                       Royal Society of Arts Preparatory certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

1987- 89                Diploma in Fine Art (painting) with Distinction, Claremont School of Art, Perth, Western Australia.

1981- 84                                Registered General Nurse, Guys Hospital, London

Publications

6.3.2004                Post - Soul Sisters - Sarah McNeill

15.7.2003              Western Suburbs - Art Classes Hit Right Note - Cara Sputor

Aug 2002               Australian Vital Magazine - The Dancing Artist -Emma Leask

29.7.2002             West Australian - Drawn to the Dance - by Keith McDonald

14.7.2000             West Australian - Defining Moments - Bron Sibree

19.7.2000             Perth Weekly - Soul Searching - Evi Ferrier

Sept 95                 Fremantle Herald - Dawn's Ceramic frieze a swimming success - Nick Paskos.

Dec 95                   Herald - Another Leap Forward - Lisa Gutherie

1992                       Fremantle Gazette - Art from Dreams-Michele Nugent

2001                       Brisbane Review - Ides of March - Phil Brown

Television

Fremantle Festival in the Making Channel 31