The large organic forms that dominate the Yellow Water Cruising I and II compositions symbolise the giant lily pads that gently float above the water’s surface along the Yellow Water Billabong. This Billabong is the main arterial waterway that runs through Kakadu and is a natural supermarket of food, produce and life source for the surrounding ecosystem. 
The delicate lines that run through each Lily Pad indicate this interconnectedness, as each leaf acts as a natural filtration system for the Billabong, co-dependent on one another, acting in tandem. 
The hints of warm yellow and orange hues that peak between the dense layers of green and blue paint represent the routine of the Lily Pad, as it stretches out to the sun during the day and then folds in on itself at night.

Yellow Water Cruising I

In this painting titled Walpa Gorge, the mass of circular forms that gently lean on one another symbolise the conglomerate of rocks that make up the Walpa Gorge in the Kata Tjuta area. 
In the centre of the gorge is a chasm carved out by the rain and wind, now a refuge for the native flora and fauna. The gestural strokes of paint that move throughout the composition create a force and rhythm throughout the painting that represents the energy lying beneath the rock forms. 
The fiery reds and deep browns intertwined throughout the painting embed the view within the heat and dryness of the desert, connecting them to the earth and energy of the Kata Tjuta area.

Walpa Gorge

This series, titled Territorian, was inspired by my recent trekking adventures to Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, The Larapinta Trail, Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Central Australia in the Northern Territory. 
On these treks, I immersed myself in the energy, rhythm, and connection of the native flora, fauna and landscape. 
The colours of the Northern Territory are prominent in this series; green represents new growth and the land’s ability to regenerate itself, dark charcoal grey symbolises the burning-off periods, and red is reminiscent of the rust centre and the blue of the waterways. 
Like this sacred land, all the organic colours, forms, and lines I painted are connected and in harmony, reflecting the countryside’s cyclical life cycle and connection. 
The Northern Territories landscapes are like a magnetic field; everything runs to the centre, something I wanted to parallel this series by creating a visual force that captures the viewer’s attention

Billabong Warrior I

During one of my treks through Litchfield National Park, I came across an almost alien landscape, whereby large domes on rock gave the impression of ancient city ruins. 
The organic circular forms layered throughout the composition are reminiscent of the natural rock city and the bold strokes of orange and red paint, coupled with hints of purple and blue nod to the natural elements of heat and wind that eroded the sandstone over thousands of years into the impressive formations they are today.

The Lost City

The large lily pads that stretch out to the edges of the composition, dominating the entire painting, symbolise the abundance of lily pads that gently floated everywhere throughout the billabong. 
The dark green strokes that interlay with the delicate white lines, twist and turn the lilies into a kaleidoscope of colour, pulling the viewer into their trance. Hidden within the luminous greenery of the lily pad leaves are bright pink lotus flowers, their aura and vibrant energy made it impossible for me to look away. 
This reminded me of the Greek parable of the Lotus-Eater, whereby Odysseus and his men had lived off the sweet, intoxicating lotus flower fruit, transcending them into a perpetual state of forgetfulness. 
Like these men, I was stopped in time when I saw the lotus flowers, so captivated and transfixed by their beauty I wasn’t aware of how many hours had passed by as I floated down the billabong.

Sacred Lily Triptych

My walk inspires Valley of the Winds through the giant chasm between the rock face at Kata Tjuta. 
The blocks of solid grey paint weave in and out between the organic forms, symbolising the wind that carves out the rock face forming the chasm - gushing and screaming on its path. Likewise, the array of black lines interweaving throughout the pool of rusty red and brown paint appear like some web or arterial system, connecting each being to one another. 
This string of connectivity symbolises the underground link between Kata Tjuta and Kakadu, the hidden energy and life force that unites them beneath the surface.

Valley Of The Winds

The series of circular forms in Crocodile Rock has a density and depth, which I created through multiple processes of layering paint, pastel, and oils. In turn, the circles appear to have a palpable texture to them so that the viewer can imagine what it would feel like to run their hand across the skin of a crocodile. 
Crocodiles are prolific throughout Kakadu and synonymous with the area. The vibrant blue and purple colour palettes indicate their power and superior position in the natural food chain. 
Furthermore, “Rock” in the title also emphasises crocodiles’ place in the Northern Territory, as they are the stable rock of the land, tough, strong and resilient.

Crocodile Rock

The layering of colour, line and form that dominates the centre of the composition in Artesian Heart creates pulsating energy and force, pulling the viewer into the core of the painting. 
The black and white lines that spiral in towards the centre of the painting create a movement, a beat and a rhythm, like that of a pulse or a ticker, reminding us that Uluru is the natural life source for Australia, its beating heart.

Artesian Heart

An abundance of Green Ant nests is scattered throughout the foliage of trees and shrub in Kakadu. The gestural leaf forms that sway throughout the composition are inspired by the balloon-shaped nests the ants sew together to create havens for themselves. 
Like the leaves that form the nest, the foliage in my painting wraps around itself, producing exciting and dynamic shapes. Prolific throughout the land, these nests look like an abundance of beautiful ornaments, decorations, or disco balls.

Green Ant Nest

Yellow Water Cruising II

Sacred Lily I

The title Shifting Stones references the layers of rock embedded within Kakadu and their journey and movement over time. 
Once perched on the ocean's edge, the sandstone has migrated over time, shifting from horizontal formations to vertical, stretching closer and closer towards the sky. 
The solid blocks of granite blue paint beautifully offset with the freely applied, gestural strokes of orange and brown, making the rock forms appear to float and move across the canvas like they do in Kakadu. 
The multiple layers of paint added to the canvas over time speak to this lifecycle of the escarpment, reminding us of how earth acts as an archive of time and being.

Shifting Stones II

The weight and magnitude of the thick black lines and fiery orange paint in Solid Rock convey the force and stability of Uluru, the world’s largest single-rock monolith. 
The composition is split horizontally down the middle, so the organic forms and shapes on the top appear mirrored on the bottom. This reflects Uluru’s formation – like icebergs, most of its mass is below the surface. 
The solid blocks of soft orange paint that radiate out from the centre embody the latent energy Uluru omits.

Solid Rock

Lotus Pod is inspired by the innumerable lotus-flower pods that line the banks. Once a vibrant pink aquatic flower, the lotus pods begin to re-establish in the dry, turning into a hollow sculptural shell of its former self. 
The abundance of circular shapes references not only the pod's seeds but the lotus's cyclical nature as they go through a process of rebirth and transformation every day. 
 in the dry, turning into a hollow sculptural shell of its former self. 
 
The abundance of circular shapes references not only the pod's seeds but the lotus's cyclical nature as they go through a process of rebirth and transformation every day.

Lotus Pod

Billabong Warrior is inspired by the abundance of turtles I saw on a day trip with Pudakul Aboriginal Culture Tours. The light grey silhouette of paint layered over the top of the composition creates an interesting optical effect, so half of the piece appears submerged underwater, much like the turtles drifting through the billabong. 
 
This is further reinforced through the visual contrast between solid blocks of colour and gestural, loose applications of paint that appear like colourful puddles on the canvas. 
 
Finally, the title of this work reinforces the turtle as a symbol of life and strength, as it has survived since time began, carving out its path in the billabong.

Billabong Warrior II

Territorian was inspired by my recent trekking adventures to Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, The Larapinta Trail, Uluru, Kata Juta and Central Australia in the Northern Territory.

TERRITORIAN