After graduating from Sydney College of the Arts with a degree in Visual Arts – ceramic sculpture/photography –  and a Post Graduate Diploma in ceramic sculpture, I knew I was not ready to be an artist, I needed more. I lived in the UK for a time and travelled extensively. Even that was not enough to secure my direction and I returned to Australia to work in hospitality, running restaurants in partnership with my brother. Food has always been a passion.

Then I was introduced to Theatre. Set and costume design used my creative energies and introduced me to collaboration. As this coincided with the birth of my first child and my wish to be a full time mother, I worked from our Sydney home in our small graphics business, juggling design jobs, feed times and housework.

When our first son was five years old and our second son three, we went to live in Hungary. We had no plan, we did not know how long we would stay, we stayed for fifteen years. I immersed myself in new country, new language, new culture and after two years our daughter was born. We lived as Hungarians, with our children going to local public schools, we spoke the language. It was not financially possible for me to continue being a full time mother and I returned to work outside the home as soon as our daughter was old enough.

We reached the stage where we could visit Australia regularly. We came biennially to the beautiful far north coast of NSW where I had spent happy teenage years. There was no plan to return to Australia but perhaps these visits stirred something in me as, with little forethought, we packed up and returned at the end of 2012. It was a good decision.

Suddenly I am in a place and a space where I can live and work as an artist again.

Fernleigh, NSW, Australia – May 2013