Background

I started painting when I was 7 years old, until then I had been drawing a lot.  My favourite uncle loved my drawings and for my birthday that year gave me an easel, canvas acrylics, and brushes, and away I went.

I wanted to go to the Academy of Art (Kunst Akademiet) in Copenhagen, but my Dad convinced me that I should take another education first. So I thought I’ll become a nursing sister \ RN and then travel the world and pursue my art. I did just that: moved from Denmark to Australia with a young family!

While studying nursing I took drawing and ceramic courses with several Danish artists. Moving to Australia in 1982 (Alice Springs) I started studying art at the community college where I took a two year Diploma in Painting, Photography and Printmaking. I learned oil painting like the old masters did, by grinding my own colours, cooking rabbit skin glue to prime the canvases that I stretched on homemade stretchers. I learned to start with a BW sketch, then grey tones, then tertiary colours and finally the colours I wanted to use. Only after all those sketches did I start the painting itself.

Moving from Alice Springs to Rockhampton, I joined the Central Qld Contemporary Artists and exhibited with them for a number of years.  As part of the Flying Arts School I attended several art workshops at Cooee Bay (the latest in 2012). These workshops were 10 day residential affairs run by Mervyn Moriarty and Bela Ivanye with long-time guest Jim Cobb demonstrating and field testing the latest range of acrylic paints and mediums.

When I moved to Ipswich I started a fine arts degree at the Qld College of Art (now part of Griffith), graduating with a major in painting.

I have sold my artwork both in Australia and Overseas.