I began oil painting lessons at the age of 9 at the local church with my grandmother. This sparked a lifelong passion of creating and exploring the visual arts. In 1994, at the age of 11, I began studying the Meldrum Method, a tonal approach to painting at the McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, under the tutelage of Melbourne artist Fiona Bilbrough. My work is deeply rooted in in this style. Australian Tonalism is based on the theory of building “tone on tone” where objective optical analysis of subject matter allows the development of a unique style of painting characterized by its atmospheric quality.
Other factors which influence my work include studying art at Liceo Artistico di Bergamo in Italy, various artist-led workshops, completing a Bachelor of Visual Art and Design at Monash University, and a Graduate Diploma of Education.
