Brothers In Arms - Pastels on canson paper  

My father, "Slim", was in the army. In fact, he met my mother in the army and they married in their uniforms. Though he was away a lot in their early-married life, he and I were very close. Slim was a dedicated officer with several awards, including the MBE. 

Times of war are charged with emotion and endured with loyalty, and that sense of loyalty ran strong through our family. Brothers in Arms is a tribute to that loyalty shown both through mateship in celebration and the dog, as man's best friend, happy to see his master home again. I worked with the materials directly, with pastels and my fingers, to merge the tones and transmit the sense of touch that's so important in times of challenge and joy.

The spirit of Gallipoli didn't just stay with the soldiers, it lives on in those of us who loved them and welcomed them home. So, the woman represents those who contributed directly to the war efforts and the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters whose hearts were away with their loved ones.

Hand lettering is back! If you want your words out there, consider a lettering artist. Love the written word in all its forms. This piece I wrote on stretched canvas and hangs in our kitchen, some say the heart of a home. 

I love to dance, ballroom, rock n roll, whatever, I could dance the night away, and use to! Ballet is a beautiful physical expression of grace at a slow pace, I could feel the stretch painting "On Your Toes "- Acylics on canvas board - 20 x 30 cm