Misty Spring

I always knew from a very young age, that creating images on paper was something that I wanted to continue to do in my life. It’s taken me most of my adult life to work out exactly what and how I could do that. At one point I dreamed of being an architect, then an interior designer and I’ve dabbled in a career of graphic design, textile design and illustration. It’s only now that I really want to be an artist. A term that I’ve been afraid to embrace or feel comfortable calling myself. I don’t know why that is. Upbringing perhaps. Social status? Confidence? I left school and spent three years completing a degree in fine arts, majoring in printmaking. Studying techniques that weren’t exactly going to open many career doors. As it turned out, I diverted my skills with the introduction of computers and graphics which I am glad to possess. But I can’t express just how important those early hands on skills have been to my current outlook and practices.





I often feel more comfortable holding a pen than a paint brush. And that goes for working on paper and wood than canvas or linen. But these last few years, I find myself working with a range of media. I sometimes think of my work as an experimentation of ideas and techniques and I guess from that I have developed a style that is slowly becoming my own. The idea of combining media gives my work more depth and helps me to build my layers. And often I leave paintings for weeks or months and when I return to them, I find myself painting out areas but leaving windows of information.


It often boils down to how much ‘me time’ I have. Working on a big canvas takes a lot of energy and hours of uninterrupted work, which I don’t get a lot of. I love the idea of creating smaller works because I can finish them and that sense of completion is satisfying.

I also have an interest in sewing, so often I combine this into my work. It goes a little deeper than that too. Apart of my art is about how we connect to our environment, so sewing is a metaphorical technique that helps to express this.


I love nature. I guess everyone could say they love nature. But for me it’s not just about painting a landscape in the traditional sense. I am quite fascinated in how a garden lives. How it starts. The seed. The roots. Then watching something grow and change and slowly die. The impact of an environment on a person is quite intense and expressing aspects of this is something that interests me.

One example right now is the recent floods we had in our state of Queensland. Last year much of my local area was devastated by major floods and I personally saw the damage it caused amongst friends and colleagues. My abstract expression reflects the ever-changing aspects of nature and emotion.

painted garden 1

Each week I see beautiful images from artists all around the world. But right now, I am influenced by any artist who can turn their love of creation into a successful business. I don’t necessarily mean monetary success, but happiness and fulfillment. An artist that can keep striving to be better at what they make and connect their work to other people in someway deserves respect. Mind you, my husband would dearly love me to make lots of money so he can have a very long holiday.