After this I completed grade 12 art by correspondence. China painting with Marie St John came next for a couple of years till work intervened again. Pottery at the TAFE South Brisbane followed; all was going well till I got sick. Meanwhile folk art became the rage and it was my introduction to acrylics. At first it was very basic based on Bavarian art but this morphed into decorative art and still life. My teacher was Judith Harvison a well renowned and published artist. Judith expanded our repertoire bringing in well known artist world wide for workshops. This meant painting in acrylics on wood in all shapes and sizes and canvas board. My use of acrylic paint expanded, painting decorative objects for the home in different styles Russian, Old Dutch flowers, American style, Celtic and Nordic. Work shops given by imported teachers from America introduced me to a range of acrylic paint made by different companies. My work in these mediums are treasured pieces in my friends houses, have gone overseas with student exchange, become wedding presents and hang in offices.

 

Picasso had his blue periods etc, my artistic periods changed with different periods of my life.

 

We moved to Wooroolin. Here I started lessons with Gary Eyres but these finished when Gary sold his Wooroolin premises. As a member of the Murgon Group we decided to import specialised teachers with the help of RADF. One such teacher, Brian Allison suggested we should learn from approx six renowned tutors to improve our skills, so we took up his advice. As a group we did weekly live art drawing and had drawing lessons from Paul Van Vegchel as a for runner to attending the Famous Classical Art School Julian Ashton's on the Rock's  Sydney. McGregor was for portraits, winter and spring schools which added to my skill base in oils, landscape and water colour painting. After this came workshops with Jenny Kelly and Aileen Shaw on acrylics. Despite using other medium I find acrylics the tmost versatile, and most forgiving of all. I have attended several workshops with Lyn Diefenback, Colley Whisson and Don Milner; including four days in the Bunyas plein air painting in water colour. For a period of time I attended miniature painting and botanical in water colours with Dr Gillian Scott travelling to Toowoomba. In May last year I spread my wings further trying another medium pastels. I attended a four day pastel workshop with Maxine Thompson. This is my pastel animal period. A revisit with Lyn Diefenback is to occur in April, which I am excited about. All my tutors have been well renowned artists. One famous artist said his work was best while he continued to learn. This is my mantra. RADF is wonderful, the funding has given me a door to affordable tuition. A distance course with Toowoomba University encompassing credit units with summer and winter schools would be another wish.

 

Presently I am embarking on a distance course on painting Natural History animals and birds to compliment my botanical art and to improve my skills as I paint the birds in the neighboring wetlands along with visitors to my garden. Painting birds of Wooroolin is my present project. Leonie Norton the instructor does field trips abroad: they look inviting maybe next project.

 

Becoming a member of JAA expanded my repertoire further into other artistic pursuits. Print making, pottery, book binding, silk scarves and mosaics which I have enjoyed. Each art form enhancing artistic skills, and a release for ones artistic desires. I have certainly enloyed the support and friendship of members of the group. While I have increased my skill base with workshops, I have been introduced to the entrepreneur ship of the group members. Their enthusiasm has dragged me into the Twenty-first century and recognition.

 

We have gone from an art group of participants with different artistic skills displaying works at group exhibitions to being launched onto the internet.