"Not-just-a-Material Girl" Fine Art Gallery and "Godden's Gallery of Art Quilts"

Trish Bridges - my first formal art instructor who introduced me to pastel in her home studio/ classroom in Canberra. We certainly had a connection and language with each other. Although her style of teaching sometimes included throwing a pastel across the room at me when I was not doing my best…..I love her always.

Wayne Roberts - a wonderful watercolourist of world reknown, an amazing mind, mathematician and musician. We share a love of the creative process and share our birthdays too……along with Ken Done and Peter Paul Rubens! What a mix. His support and positive passion spur me on.

Fred Finch - a man I have never meet. The father of one of my dad’s childhood mates, Jeff Finch. Dad and Jeff at age 74, still share an active friendship. When Jeff’s father Fred passed away, his family were left with a studio of art supplies from Fred’s own work and his art teaching. The Finch family had no one artistically inclined to want or appreciate the goodies so, luckily for me…they thought I might find them of use. YES PLEASE. It was like Christmas. My parents visited from Sydney and brought with them about 3 boxes of stuff that “Uncle Jeff” thought I might be able to use. The stash included a French Box easel, complete with a “Made in Paris” brass label, lots of boards and canvases, brushes, a fantastic library AND a virtually brand new boxed set of 144 Rowney soft pastels….hence the launch into pastel classes with the above mentioned Trish Bridges. Funny thing was I turn up to this class, first time apprehension and feeling out of my depth. Students all set up their gear for the session; some of them gingerly opening their pastel set of 12, some displaying their set of 24 or 48 with a sense of pride, whilst I quietly unknowingly opened out this huge array of brand new 144 complete set….and blew everyone away, including the teacher. Later that day I made an inquiring phone call (pre internet access) to my favourite Art shop and discovered the set I was sporting was well over $800 new and that was in 1992! I must have looked like a complete peacock but luckily ignorance was bliss.

Narelle Adamson – My mentor/support teacher when I was completing “Prac Teaching” in my fourth year of Education at University back in 1986. A friendship continued outside of teaching as we shared our passion for colour and design, life drawing and laughter, good food and wine. Narelle is no longer with us but her words often echo in my head as she encouraged me to follow the art in my heart.