The Collection

Scroll down to see some of my work

'Sweet Dreams' 
61x91cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3800  ETH1.46 

Sweet Dreams invites you into a world filled with movement, beauty, freedom, wonder and possibility. She is completely ensconced in an environment that promises growth, change and regeneration. A place where there is time and space to contemplate, to think, to reimagine and consider. Flowers abound, they move and grow in and around her, from seed pods to full blooms. They have the power to heel, to enlighten, to encourage. Nature at its very best. The blue wrens are an expression, an extension of her, partially transparent and ethereal with a solid strength represented in their richly painted tails and her dark voluminous hair. There is a quiet, stillness about her, in contrast to the bright colours and movement that surrounds her. She gazes out of the canvas, looking directly at the viewer with an expression of gentle determination issuing a quiet invitation into her world.

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'Backyard Princess 4'
36x46cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3200 ETH1.23 

There is a languid freedom to Backyard Princess 4. The background morphs from relaxed free brushstrokes and floral patterns to delicate black blossom overlayed with fine gold vertical lines. This all helps to create a feeling of easy movement and depth. The tilt of her head, the seemingly heavy and laden crown of flowers and birds, and the delicate arch of her neck help to create this feeling of relaxed languidly. Backyard Princess 4 looks out of the canvas, she is enthralled in her own world, she lives within her own imagination. The viewer is not invited to be part of her lived experience but rather is an onlooker, a voyeur, to her world, her inner thoughts and contemplations.


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'Backyard Princess 3'
36x46cm Painting on Canvas
SOLD

Delicious detail abounds in every corner of the canvas. In the darkest depth of the background, black blossom flowers can be seen underlaying the explosion of confetti dots along the central diagonal axis of the painting, the flowers falling through space and the spirals of colourful dots and lines coming out from her crown. Backyard Princess 3 is multi layered and multi dimensional. Golden rings help to create a space for her and the little blue wren to inhabit. Backyard Princess 3 exists in the most beautiful of worlds. A world filled to the brim with colour, flora and fauna exploring questions of place, femininity and identity. She appears regal with her golden gown of native Australian flowers and rich red climbing roses floating through the painting, yet despite her grandeur she is totally connected to her world. The tilt of her head, the relaxed, partially open mouth and the quiet, contemplative gaze speak to a sincerity and vulnerability. A desire and willingness to communicate with the viewer. A quiet desire to share her world, to share who she is.


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Backyard Princess 2
41X55cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3600 ETH1.38 

Backyard Princess 2 sits centre stage, comfortable and at one with her crown of waratah and banksia flowers and a regal air. She stares directly out of the canvas at the viewer, self possessed. She invites the viewer to communicate directly with her but on her terms. The gold colours in her headdress and her clothing help create a magical quality. As do the negative spaces in the background, in particular the gold ring sitting behind the Princess identifying a depth of space, a space the banksia tree appears to grow from. The myriad of coloured confetti like spots and ascending dots also help to create this magical, other worldly feeling. Two beautiful galahs are the crowning glory in her headdress. They sit comfortably nestled in her hair, at one with her, instantiating her oneness with nature. Backyard Princess inhabits a multi layered world, one that the viewer is invited to explore.


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'Backyard Princess'
76x101cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3800 ETH1.46 

Backyard Princess was conceived while walking the dog. Each day the dog and I walk through beautiful natural parkland, stopping to study the flora (for very different reasons!), observing growth patterns, floral changes, insect life and listening to beautiful bird song. During the painting of Backyard Princess galahs were often in the area, spending time in the same parklands. Two very curious galahs stayed in the area for weeks, fascinating us. Backyard Princess inhabits a particularly Australian landscape. The colour pallet is intrinsically Australian, from rich olive greens to greys, mustards and dusty pinks. She is surrounded by flora and fauna; galahs nestle around her, and large leaf shapes cocoon her. Flowers are broken down into simple abstract shapes as are the banksia branches and seed pod. Backyard Princess is very still amongst the movement around her; sound waves appear to emanate from her. She wears a crown of native Waratah flowers and stares out at the viewer though a rich red mask, inviting the viewer into her beautiful world.


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'Girl Connected'
117x76cm one work made up of five paintings on canvas.
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

Girl Connected is a painting comprising of one large and four small canvases. Conceptually Girl Connected is depicted on the first canvas, her hair flows onto the other four smaller canvases. She is fragmented, stretched, torn apart, but ultimately, she is restored, reconnected through nature. Blue wrens and banksia branches and flowers painted from one canvas to the other help to connect her back together. Girl Connected inhabits a beautiful world, rich with colourful pinks, magenta and deep reds, lace-like shapes and patterns help to create an atmospheric background landscape. There is a darkness and depth to her world, yet she appears to glow, there is a distinct luminous quality about her. She is surrounded by Australian flora and fauna. Waratah flowers, both coloured and black and white, cover her body, cloaking her in nature. The galah looks out at the viewer, mimicking the direct gaze of Girl Connected. They both seek to commune, to share something of themselves, something of the world they inhabit. Girl Connected has an open gaze yet the delicate turn of her body and the eye-mask seem to suggest a privacy, a quiet vulnerability.


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'Green Eyed Girl' 
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4,200 ETH1.61 

Green Eyed Girl is a riot of colour, movement and pattern, juxtaposed against the stillness and odd proportions of Green-Eyed Girl herself. She dominates the canvas and the viewers' attention. She stares out at the viewer from a world of her choosing, a place infinitely personal, filled to overflowing with feminine and natural iconography. She is almost luminous. Her hair is made of colour, chains, ribbons and intricate patterns. Gum leaves and ribbons adorn her ear lobes and hummingbirds float and dance amongst them. She wears a jumper made of lace, and Australian gum. Native flowers and birds float all around her, ribbons and patterns connecting them together. She is unashamedly Green-Eyed Girl, living in a world of her making, inviting you to join her there if you dare.


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'Blue Girl'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

Blue Girl’s vulnerability is palpable, instantly recognisable in the set of her mouth and the watery indirect gaze of her eyes. She doesn’t engage with the viewer but peers past them, into a world beyond their reach. She is a creature of nature with leaves and birds nestling around her chest and shoulders, however, her skull cap of wavy hair transforms her and places her in an aquatic world. It is as if she is surrounded by blue rivers, we see a bird's eye view of the river system surrounding her and the red earth landscape beyond. The pallet is intensely Australian, yet climbing roses float through the painting connecting her to another time and place. Blue Girl is a picture of feminine beauty. Rose highlighted pale skin, blood red lips and endless intricate detail help to create an infinitely feminine world for her to inhabit. A world however, where part of her hair is depicted curled and entwined with an almost snakeskin/reptilian pattern and texture. Hinting at the duality of her existence.


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'Girl with Kangaroo Paw'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

Girl with Kangaroo Paw is as unusual, beautiful, majestic and as unapologetic as the kangaroo paw plant itself. Just like the velvety textural beauty of the plant, Girl with Kangaroo Paw has deep, blood red lips, beautiful lace like skin, moodily textured eyes and a crown of wild, feather like hair. Ribbons entangled in her hair reach out and connect with the Western Australian wildflowers floating through the painting. The kangaroo paw, endemic to Western Australia, is connected to her with ribbons and together they provide sustenance to the honey eating birds. Girl with Kangaroo Paw is painted with delicate, beautiful skin, intensely detailed and intricate hair, an elongated yet symmetrical face and a beautiful, strong, direct gaze that communes directly with the viewer. The viewer is openly invited to engage with her and the world she inhabits.


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'Girl at Home' 
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

Girl At Home was painted upon returning home to Australia after four years living in Virginia USA. She is a celebration of connectedness. An expression of that all power feeling of ‘being at home’, at one with place and nature. She is fully surrounded, ensconced by Australian flora and fauna. Birds, hair, ribbons, leaves and a riot of delicious detail create a luscious world . The colour palette of the painting reflects the Australian landscape. Branches of gum appear to grow out of her body, gum leaves entwine with her feathery, almost kelp-like hair. A bird nests atop her head becoming a centre piece to her wild crown. Birds hang from her ears as adornment. She peers out from a world that welcomes her but also has the capacity to overwhelm as she discovers what is it to live in this place. Girl At Home doesn’t invite the viewer into her world, she shares a glimpse of what it is to live there.


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'Girl with Birds in Her Hair'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

Girl with Birds in Her Hair is luminous in a dark, gold accented background. The background reads as a space that she is floating in rather than a place that she is connected to. Girl with Birds in Her Hair is isolated, alone, untethered in a world without connection. Apart from the birds in and hanging from her hair she is alone. Even then the birds are not communing with her, there is not an obvious connection or relationship. The birds in her hair are looking to each other and the green birds hanging form her hair are floating in space rather than connecting with her. There is an intensity to her gaze, she displays a weary strength. She looks directly at the viewer but there appears to be a question in her eyes. There is a rawness to her skin which speaks to her isolation while at the same time the delicate lace overlay helps to highlight the duality of her state of mind, the questions she is asking.


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'Girl with Flowers and Feathers'
91x121 Painting on Canvas
SOLD

Girl with Flowers and Feathers has a deep and primal connection to nature. Her feathery hair moves and floats around her, akin to a Tasmanian underwater kelp forest. The lace markings on her skin, the pattern color and texture of her eyes and the colors used to paint her hair and body help to create a watery impression, encouraging us to wonder is she of the water or the land? Birds nestle in her hair, the colors of the Australian Blue Wren merge with the background enabling them to coexist in and not dominate her world. She is surrounded by natural beauty, entangled in it, spring flowers bloom all around her. There is an optimism about Girl with Flowers and Feathers. Color and beauty embolden her, connecting her to a positive future. Confetti floats through the canvas, little diamond shapes adorn her sweater and the background. Delicious detail abounds on every inch of the canvas. 


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'Black Swan'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 

There is something ethereal, something nymph like, perhaps a little other worldly about Black Swan. She emerges from the water, ensconced by nature and beauty. Her skin glows with watery, lace like patterns. Her hair is a tangle of feathery strands, adorned with beautiful Australian flowers; birds nestle and roost in her flowing, fiery locks. Five black swans share her world, they float in the dark water, surrounding her, part of her. Her hair gently caresses, and weaves in and around them. None of the birds appear to desire a connection with the viewer, they are there for Black Swan, they help to describe her personality, the story of her existence and identify her Southern Australian origins. Black Swan gazes out at the viewer. She invites the viewer to use all five senses when engaging with the painting. She doesn’t appear to challenge, she stares out as if to simply state ‘here I am, I exist’. The black swans in the painting are referential. They speak to the idea that black swans were once thought not to exist, and were used as a symbol of the impossible, their presence evokes questions of identity. The colours, patterning, Australian flora and fauna and the abundant detail are used in the work to create movement and to foster a connection to beauty and nature, to leave the viewer with a feeling of optimism.


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'Birds of a Feather'
181x91cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4900 ETH1.88 

Birds of a feather flock together! The girls are linked together by branches of Australian gum. It grows from and through them, joining and uniting them to the sisterhood and to nature. Forty-two birds adorn the girls. Australian wrens for the girls on the left and right of the painting and Virginian cardinals for the large imposing figure in the centre. The girls engage with the viewer differently, they share different stories, some are more open and direct others less so. The choice of birds helps describe and reinforce the personality/story of each girl. The birds flock to them in large numbers, nesting and settling on and in their hair. The birds speak to a duality. They provide a beautiful connection to nature, to a particular place, to an optimistic future. But the sheer number and the confronting gaze of the cardinals, also introduce an unsettling element, of being overwhelmed by their multiplying presence. Once I started painting the birds I just couldn’t stop. A rich green and gold background is alive with subtle texture, pattern, movement and colour. Creating a depth and intricacy to the space/place they inhabit. The girls have a delicate glow about their skin, they are tattooed with lace, pattern and colour. Delicious detail abounds in every corner of the painting.


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'Girl with Blue Wrens'
76x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4000 ETH1.54 


Her delicate body rotates away from the viewer, moves inward, yet at the last minute she chooses to turn and face the world. Does she address the viewer or look straight past to another reality? She stares out with a heady mix of vulnerability and bravado. She wears the bird of pray like a head piece. In contrast little blue wrens float whimsically upon falling flowers, surrounding her with their playful beauty. At first she appears to inhabit a dark and turbulent environment. The darkness of the background, the fiery depth of her eyes, the unusual posture and scale of her body and the lace markings on her skin invite us to unravel her story. Upon further inspection, the beautiful feathery hair, the movement of the Blue Wrens balancing upon falling flowers, the lace detail in the background and on her skin and the deep connection with nature are darkly optimistic.


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'Girl with Lace and Feathers'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 


Girl with Lace and Feathers appears out of the darkness, she glows and almost floats in a landscape of lace, feathers, flowers and femininity. She inhabits a dark world and fills it with light and beauty. Despite the strangeness of her world, and the quirky talisman-like bird growing out of her feather adorned head, she stares out at the future with confidence, strength and optimism. She appears to have a defined and satisfying place within it. She is open and questioning but also portrays a sense of contentment. She challenges the viewer with her golden stare to engage, to hear, to question and to know her.


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'Girl in Feathers'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
SOLD

The tilt of her head, the turn of her chin, her posture and the unusual proportions of her face and the heavy weight of her head atop her little shoulders gives an intense feeling of vulnerability. Is she a girl in feathers or a girl in tatters? Are the feathers, flowers, gum tree branches and patterning part of her essential feminine being or are they helping to keep, bind her together? Natural beauty surrounds Girl in Feathers, grows from her body, floats around and across her, rooting her to nature, ultimately connecting her to a positive future. Her eyes speak to a sadness, she looks to be pondering life’s many questions. A deeply personal exploration that she shares with the viewer. She looks directly at the viewer and invites them into her heart.

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'Girl with Gum'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$4200 ETH1.61 


The colours speak to an Australian landscape, the pallet of home. She is aflame with yearning. Her eyes are an external connection to the internal place she inhabits. Her eyes, her gaze almost issues a challenge to the viewer: 'I stand before you bold and open, engage with me if you choose.' Her full voluptuous features help to create that openness and transparency, an honest and frank account of what she is thinking and feeling. She is adorned in feathers, bird-like. The feathers represent a choice, an ability to take flight. They also connect her to her femininity, her beauty, to her base and primal nature. Gum sprouts and grows from her inner most thoughts, like insects or spiders legs it grows and creeps from her subconscious. There is no choice, no conscious decision, the Australian gum simply is part of her. Little transparent Australian blue wrens rest in the tree, becoming part of her flock. Her quiet co-conspirators.

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'Birds'
91x121 Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


The magical bird nests upon the woman’s head. It is a representation of the complexities of the world and time she lives in. The bird appears to warm her, it could be hatching and giving her life or conversely, overpowering and dominating her. The bird almost becomes a second skin, a hat or hair piece. Its feathers caress her neck while the body of the bird becomes part of her. The woman’s nose and open mouth speak to a sensuality, an openness, a rawness of emotion. The interior of her mouth provides a depth to the painting, a hint at what she is feeling and experiencing. While her eyes appear melancholic, accepting of her fate there is also a desire, an intent to express the reality of her existence. Life, colour and patterning fall from her eyes. There is a stillness to the bird-woman contrasted with the movement of the top wing and patterned background.

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'Virginia with Birds'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


A celebration of what it is to be a ‘bird’! In Australian vernacular, females are often referred to as ‘birds’. The title of the painting and the subject matter explore this concept. Virginia’s posture and hand gesture speak to a quiet contemplative character, yet the vibrant colours, patterning and detail in the painting suggest another truth. Her eyes are gentle, slightly vulnerable yet full of intent. She desires an intense and true connection with the viewer. Is she a young girl in her prom dress or is she an aging ‘bird’? She is adorned, surrounded by birds. Ribbons bind and entwine them together. The wrens form a head piece while the pheasant engages more dynamically. The pheasant’s stance, direct gaze and the movement created by the feathers and background dots remind us that he is of the same temperament as Virginia, the same ilk. He is an expression of the multiplicity of her personality. The rich floral dress, the ribbon, dots, feathers and stripy patterning all help to create delicious feminine detail.

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'Little Virginia Blue'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


Little Virginia Blue is youthful, she confidently and unapologetically engages with the viewer and the world around her. She exists in a watery, ethereal environment, yet she appears ever-present and direct. Her stance is relaxed and quietly confident, secure…even in this underwater environment. Is she standing still or does she approach the viewer? The water lilies are rooted in the water but ascend up into the air to create an encircling, slightly magical space for her to thrive in. A place that is both of the water and of the air, like her eyes. Her eyes resemble both seascapes or sky scapes, rooting her in both worlds. The pheasant floats atop the Lillie pad conspiratorially sharing life with Little Virginia Blue.

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'Virginia Green'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


Virginia Green appears waifish and fairylike, there is a delicacy to her soft gaze. The colours, textures, intricate patterning and floating movement in the painting help to reinforce these ethereal qualities. She quietly commands the viewers attention, gently asks for an interaction, shares her vulnerability and her strength. Her stance is open to nature and place, arms outstretched, she is entwined, almost lifted up by ribbons and flowers. Her gaze and her physicality speak to an openness. The background dots and circles set in water colour halo her body, giving her a quiet majestic quality……queen of her own beautiful domain. The birds are in a state of limbo, visible and present yet disappearing into the background. There is an intimacy between the birds and Virginia Green represented through their combined gaze and the delicate holding of ‘feet’ as they sit on her shoulder. The corset and ribbons and detailed patterning speak to her femininity. The bared breast alluding to Virtus of the Virginian flag.

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'Virginia'
91x121cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


There is a delicacy and Amazonian strength about Virginia. Her luscious mouth and rose like breast, the red Waratah flower and the red ribbons help to create an exterior view of her interior sensual self. The title and painting reference the Virginian flag. The Roman goddess Virtue/Virtus is depicted on the flag bare breasted and holding a sword and a spear, the tyrant she defeated is lying on the ground holding a chain and a whip. Red Virginia creepers and green leaves surround the scene. I like the semantics of the name Virginia, the ideas and images that spring to mind upon hearing it. Virginia’s proportions are slightly strange, her head is a little large for her delicate body. Virginia’s eyes have a watery depth to them that invite the viewer to dive in. She asks for an exchange with the viewer in contrast to the owl who does not! There is a strong connection with nature, ribbons, bees and flora and fauna are all entwined together. Do the bees on the her forearms inoculate with sweetness, are they adornment or something all together different? Ive continued to explore the idea of delicious feminine detail. I like the idea of each small section of the canvas having its own beauty. Detail is everything!

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'Bee Keeper'
121x91cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3000 ETH1.15 


The bee becomes the lens through which she views the world. Does it provide a veiled private, concealment or is it more ominous? The bee represents all of natures potential. Life-giving but also deliciously dangerous. It helps to create a beautiful sense of unease in the painting. The intensity of the owls' stare, coupled with that of the girls, also aims to engage the viewer in this dialogue. There is an interplay between the viewer and the various eyes staring out in the painting. All of these eyes help to create movement and connection in the painting. Australian flora is represented by the gum tree laden with gum nuts before they blossom. The Lillie adorning her hair spurts forth feminine iconography; ribbons and confetti entwine everything together ending in the white poppy, a symbol of peace.

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'Little Bee'
Painting on Canvas
SOLD

Little Bee is a multifaceted character. She is painted with long flowing hair which helps to create an impression of youthful beauty and vulnerability. She is open to, and embraces the place and the environment she finds herself living in. Her world largely exists of flora and fauna-from Australia and the USA. The Australian blue wren sits atop her head and a wood pecker sits near her shoulder, the Australian protea flower is also entangled in her femininity. She is set behind, yet apart of the landscape in the foreground. The bees are pivotal to the painting. They represent life, rebirth and the potential complexities of nature. There are too many of them! They are on her chest, moving, crawling through and under her hair, perching like little sparking jewels atop her hair. When you look closely you see there are hundreds of bees in the background. They have almost become a contagion. Her gaze I like to think is open, vulnerable and a little perplexed by her surroundings. She is youthful but there is still a topography to her face, a history of experience that needs to be shared.

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'Woman with Birds and Bees'
91x121 Painting on Canvas
SOLD

She commands the canvas with her size and facial expression yet there is something distinctly sensitive about her. She is strong and vulnerable, breakable, but she will not break. She engages directly with the viewer, the viewer is seen by her. The woman represents the complexities and wonder of the human condition and the impact place has on our being. She inhabits a world made up of Australian and American flora and fauna. Her hair is a tangle of Australian waratah flowers, two woodpeckers sit in her hair, they appear to add complexity to her world. She has topographical line work all over her face and body representing time passed and the mapping of place. She wears a large bee broach, it is over sized and represents the complex relationship between life force, natural beauty and threat.

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'Place'
121x91cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


Place is an exploration of place, femininity and the sisterhood. Each girl engages differently with the viewer and with the place they inhabit. The central figure gazes out with a quiet and determined strength. Her ornate, Elizabethan-inspired hair style is made up of hundreds of tiny feathers in the colour of the Australian kookaburra. A wren bows down and adorns the top of her head like a little jewel. Two girls flank either side of her, entwined together by their femininity and by their shared experience. The two girls appear to be more eccentric and vulnerable. The figure on the right is covered in Australian vines, flowers and gum leaves. An Australian wren sits in her hair, just above her ear, becoming part of her adornment. The figure on the left is covered in American woodpecker feathers and has two birds nestling in the intricate feather patterns of her hair. All of the girls have one breast exposed, referencing the Virginian flag and their femininity, their connection to the potential optimism of nature.

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'Birds and Bees'
Painting on Canvas
SOLD

She sits regally, cloaked in owl feathers, looking out at the world with a steady confidence. One breast exposed, a reference to the Virginian flag where the goddess depicted represents liberty, eternity and agriculture. She is past, present and future. Her Elizabethan hair style appears to be slightly transparent like the bees wings it is made from. A bird nests in her hair, surrounded by gum connecting her to nature. Gold chains and ribbons run through and around her, some with tiny bees hanging from them. The bee representing a positive life force. She is surrounded by delicious feminine detail. The girl delicately holds a Virginian wild flower, the roots entwine around her fingers, almost drip into the honeycomb floating amongst the Australian gum leaves below. The gum, ribbons and gold chains wrap themselves in and around the figure, uniting, restraining, containing her.

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'Birds Eye View'
121x91cm Painting on Canvas
AUD$3500 ETH1.35 


The girl appears to inhabit her world with aching vulnerability. She engages directly with the viewer and the world around her. She is enveloped by Australian gum, the kookaburra whispers the worlds secrets to her, while birds, bees and flora abound. The bees adorn her like jewels, her coat is a honeycomb pattern of bees wax. The bees appear as jewelry, a slightly sinister life force. The direct gaze of the owls help to accentuate the complexity of the girls feelings. Her mouth is sensual, beautiful, plump and youthful. While at the same time her eyes speak to a life time of experience.

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