It was a natural step for me to introduce our striking native birds to my work. They quietly snuck in without me even thinking about it too much. We often hear the heavy swoop of wood pigeon as they move from branch to branch and I am woken to the melodic call of the Tui most mornings at home and often surprised by their lively dives through the garden. Fantails pick bugs from our path as we walk the dog through the bush near home. And yet we live in a city. We are fortunate to still have these creatures share our space and enhance our landscape. Up close, their feathers shine with a metallic luminous quality and when painting the whites of their eyes they each develop personalities.

Interestingly the birds in this show have mainly been on the wing and it seems to reflect a current state of mind with a sense of escapism and freedom.

Colour excites me and the time seemed right to challenge myself with a fresh exciting palette along with my new subject matter. Embracing colour in my new pieces has been a joy and wonderfully liberating.