I’ve always loved animals, and drawing.

Growing up, our home was never without pets (thanks to my dear mum always rescuing strays).

My dad is also a prolific wildlife artist, so needless to say I always had access to pencils and paper, and plenty of encouragement. I spent my childhood doodling cats and dogs, and my favourite characters from games and cartoons as I got older.

I had to put art on the back burner after school. I completed a Bachelor of Media and a Bachelor of Media Arts (Film and TV/Animation) in quick succession, with plans of becoming a journalist - but I soon realised it didn’t suit my personality. I then spent the following 13 years working in the wine industry here in the Barossa Valley. It was a valuable experience; I met alot of wonderful people and learned alot, but it was a demanding and very social role and I didn’t draw much at all during this time.

It wasn’t until 2020-2021 that I decided it was time to get back to my roots. I undertook a GradDip in Visual Communication Design during lockdown which tickled the creative corner of my brain again. I realised how much I’d missed drawing, so I bought myself a nice set of pastels and drew my two cats, Prue and Geefer who had sat with me every single day while I studied my postgraduate.

It wasn’t long before I had a queue of friends and family forming who also wanted their beloved animals immortalised in pastel…and here we are!