I have always loved art and have been painting ever since I can remember, an avid animal lover my favourite subject as a child was horses, but I was always fascinated with all aspects of nature and the outdoors.  I owned and competed on horses until my early 20’s, and then moved onto my heart breed the  Golden Retriever, which is now a huge part of my life.

I was born in England and grew up in New Zealand.  I studied art and art history at  High School, and then pursued other interests, gaining a Bachelor of Agriculture at Massey University.  Art took a back seat for many years, with work, family and travel commitments, but that urge to paint again has always been lurking in the background. 

I am married with two adult sons and live near Ballarat Victoria, Australia. As well as painting  I have established a successful kennel and breed and show Golden Retrievers under the Camuka prefix. My love for this breed and contacts around the world has lead to a demand for painting many Golden’  Retrievers and other dogs. I worked in the veterinary industry for the past 25 years so have been surrounded by many beautiful pets and some of Australia’s diverse wildlife.  Although more known for my animal painting,  I love the great outdoors and love to paint landscapes, enjoying the freer style of painting that landscapes allow. 

Although self-taught,  I believe one never stops learning and I regularly attend workshops so I can improve my skills and learn new techniques.  I attended classes for several years with world-renowned wildlife artist Steve Morvell.  and enjoyed developing my art skills, especially with pastels, which I just love and find a fantastic medium to use, especially for animal portraits.  “I am very grateful to Steve for his tuition and patience over the past years, his passion for wildlife and desire to share his knowledge has been pivotal in my creative journey”. 

I now work from my home studio, and have now taken my own direction, and am enjoying developing my own unique art style, I continuing to learn and evolve as an artist. I regularly exhibit my artworks in art shows with some success, and also in private galleries,   I am in demand for commission work and have paintings in private collections in the  USA, UK, NZ & Australia.

I love painting for people and am truly blessed that people entrust me with the painting of their beloved animals. 

Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.