Port Fairy

I moved to Port Fairy, a small sea-side town in the South-West of Victoria, in 1996. The town and its people have been good to me and for me. I came to the town as a newly separated parent with 4 young children in tow, knowing no-one. I felt safe and people were friendly and supportive. The history of the town, populated for many years by pioneers and entrepreneurs with vision and courage, is still in the air. Their presence is palpable in the old buildings and the features of their Irish and English descendants. I feel that Port Fairy has always been a place of new beginnings and of people from all walks of life and from all sorts of circumstances. 

The town and hinterland is a place of great physical beauty and distinct seasonal changes. Many tourists flood the town in summer and there is a delicious peacefulness in winter. These seasonal changes are most conducive to producing and selling artwork. The beach, the fishing port and countryside, the old buildings and historical significance of Port Fairy plus the many activities in the town all inspire me to paint. The lighthouse has come to symbolise safety, security and a positive male aura in my work.