The aim of my work is to increase awareness of the incredible impact and wide range of possible consequences that concussion can have on the brain. My art will take you on a journey of colour and magical places, it will lift your spirits and brighten your day as you learn the stories behind the paintings.

When painting I found that bright and bold colour's had a positive impact on my well being and emotional senses.
There was no plan I just picked a colour and painted whatever came out. In my early paintings, some days were diamonds and some days were stone. Painting is my way of expressing, sharing and relieving the feelings that are within me. I often walk into my studio and have an idea of what I am going to paint, however once I begin, everything comes out in a totally different way and different direction.

For me, painting is like my cooking, I can’t repeat a recipe sometimes a style or an idea. Each piece can reflect or be influenced by how I am feeling and what's going on in my life at the time. I have painted over 50 paintings, which have been gifted to my friends and family! These paintings were sometimes crazy and busy, taking me on a journey to some mystical and magical places. Recently I had a personal message come to me from a loved one who had passed away. I painted this message as I received it and the end result was a very powerful piece.

In January 2022 I suffered from severe concussion. At times, I felt like my brain was inside someone else's body.
I was warned, that my journey to recovery was going to be a long and challenging one. During the months of February and March 2022, I suffered migraines and constant nausea. I spent much of this time resting on the couch, lying in bed or sitting on a chair outside looking over the valley of our 20 acre property just out of Mount Barker.

By late March I wasn't sure if I was dying or had dementia. Every day was physically challenging just to function. The basic daily routine seemed impossible and was a challenge I couldn’t face or achieve. I was stuck in a fight and flight response which lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) depression and anxiety.

My thoughts were very taxing and I decided I needed to paint something for my kids to remember me by. When I painted I discovered that I found peace. My brain was quiet and I started to heal. The more I painted the more release I had and the more I healed. Painting helped settle my racing, agitated and anxious brain.

I am improving more and more each day and truly believe art has played a massive part in the healing process. I am now back at work 3 half days a week. When I look back and see how far I have travelled on my art healing journey I am excited at where it may take me in the future.


Note: Art is great therapy. It is known that creativity can reduce the stress hormone 'cortisol' and encourages the good hormone endorphins and dopamine in the brain.