Painting
Perhaps the medium I have used the longest, paint is a familar tool. I began painting utilising acrylic paint in school and have continued to explore this medium since. A new exploration was ventured this year in my first oil painting. The large work below is bright and bold, an open door to a new type of painting that I will continue to experiment with in the future.
Grandparents
Both my parents are one of five children, making for a large extended family. Family is an incredibly important part of my love, something that brings me safety, security and love. Of course at the head of my family is my beloved grandparents. My paintings of them were some of my earliest paintings and yet still fill me with pride, as these are some of the most influential and beloved people in my life and each work was painted with love at its heart.
Growing Up
This large scale oil painting depicts a good friend of mine, Renah. In the work they are accompanied by a younger version of themself, as they work through a field of flowers. This works speaks to the journey of self-acceptance I have been lucky enough to watch Renah walk to accept their queerness and culture and country. As a proud Gumbaynggir person living between Ipswich and Brisbane, Renah's deep connection to country is reflected through the native flowers found on Yuggera, Turrbal and Gumbaynggir land, painted brightly around her. The flowers are slightly unfocussed, allowing for the viewer to seek out the clarity of the younger and older Renah, revelling in the reassurance and joy emanating from the pair.
