The painting titled "Family" is inspired by the quote "Family is family, whether it's the one you start out with, the one you end up with, or the family you gain along the way" ~ Gloria Delgado-Pritchett. The painting serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing and nurturing our family relationships, no matter how they come into being. Its message is one of inclusivity and love, inviting us to embrace the many different forms that family can take, and to cherish the connections that we share with those closest to us. Whether we are born into a family, create one for ourselves, or gain one along the way.

"Foundations" is inspired by the quote "Without a solid foundation, you'll have trouble creating anything of value" ~ Robert Payne. It explores the idea that a strong foundation is essential to creating a life filled with happiness and fulfilment. The painting serves as a reminder of the importance of nurturing our relationships with effective communication, authentic love, and unwavering integrity, in order to build a life that is filled with happiness and fulfilment.

The painting titled "With Us Always" is a tribute to the idea that the ones we love are never truly gone and is inspired by the quote "Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day" ~ Alex MacLean. The artwork conveys the idea that our loved ones are still with us in spirit, and that we carry their memories and their love with us wherever we go.

Patience is inspired by the quote by Ken Petti “Every flower blooms in its own time.” What I have noticed on my walks in the spring is that not all the flora blooms at the same time. To me it acts as a reminder to be patient, and that when I am eager for something to happen, knowing it will happen when the time is right. We are all running our own race and just as the blooms of spring flower in their own time, so do we.

As the time quickly approaches when my husband and I become first time parents next month, Commitment to You is a piece that I wanted to create that depicts my hope for our unborn child. That hope being that we can provide them with the guidance and opportunities to thrive, equipped with courage and confidence, to take with them on whichever path they choose.

Resilience is inspired by the wattle that I enjoy seeing slowly flowering on my walks at the start of spring. Turns our wattle is quite the resilient plant, withstanding drought, winds, and bushfires. This piece acts as a reminder that our resilience can be strengthened and that every opportunity that we are presented with to strengthen it counts. So, keep in mind Catherine DeVrye quote when doubting your resilience, “Like tiny seeds with potent power to push through tough ground and become mighty trees, we hold innate reserves of unimaginable strength. We are resilient.”

“The path to growth is not a straight line” Valerie Costello. When I reflect on my own journey, I can see that it is because of the strong foundations that I laid and the detours I have taken, and take, that shape my pathway to growth. I rarely knew (or know) where my path will lead but on reflection, I can see that all the stops I have made along the way are connected and contribute to my ongoing journey and my greatest learning is to trust, and enjoy, the pathway to growth.

Since moving down to Ngunnawal/Ngambri country over a decade ago from the Gold Coast, the colours of nature throughout the year never ceases to leave me in awe. Whilst I love seeing the colours of spring and the new beginnings it represents, or the white frost that covers the landscape in winter, autumn must be my all-time favourite. I just love seeing the transitional colours of the trees and I had to capture them in a painting and whilst autumn may represent loss, this quote by Angie Weiland-Crosby provides a more positive outlook to keep in mind when the leaves begin to fall, "Autumn whispered to the wind, I fall; but always rise again."