Coming from a wide & varied career, including General Manager & CEO in Finance, Banking & Investments ..Leaving Corporate life, I went onto further study Graphic Design and follow my heart …
Born in NSW, moving to Far North Queensland then Gold Coast, living in many Country & Coastal towns in both States, accompany that with a love of travel, years of sailing on many racing yachts & charter boats, horse riding & equestrian events …add to that, a love of photography, all of which open up to a large variety of subjects & experiences, which I use as inspirations for my paintings..
Leaving Corporate life to go onto full time studies at Commercial Arts College, I achieved an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design, Advertising, Multimedia & Website Design .. then continued as Freelance, Graphic & Web designer. After 18years, I finally decided to concentrate solely on developing my own artwork further. My initial aim was to learn how to adopt Watercolour into my Pen & Ink studies, without being told I was “just colouring in” to which, has now developed a love for the medium by itself.
I have now attended many workshops in Australia & Overseas.
Tutors such as Robert Wade OAM, Ross Paterson, Malcolm Beattie, Guy Troughton, Barry & Lucy McCann, Chan Dissanyake, Rob Candy, John Haycraft, Herman Pekel… and Overseas with Jacky Pearson, Alvaro Castagnet & Keiko Tanabe, the list goes on…. All of which, greatly influence my work & style..
My “heroes” in watercolour are Robert Wade OAM, Jack McDonogh, Sydney Long & Hans Heysen…but none moreso than Beatrix Potter, as it was her imagination and illustrations that I loved from my childhood, that when I saw her original works in Birnam in Scotland and the World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness on Windermere, I knew that was to be my new direction ….. Watercolours !!
In 2012, I became a Member of The Central Coast Watercolour Society, and held numerous positions such as Beginners & Workshop Coordinator, Website & Social Media Office & Assistant Treasurer , unfortunately having to retire all positions in 2017.. due to ill health..
In 2015 , I joined the Hunter Arts Network, & Society Of Artists, Newcastle, and in 2016 I was invited to become a member of The Newcastle & Lake Macquarie Art Society.
SO in late 2016, I decided to make the change from HEKTIK Designs…(Websites & Photography) …… to HELKINART – Watercolour Artist 😀
A move to Lorn in 2020, I joined the Maitland Regional Society of Artists … returning back to the Lake, in May 2023 developing my new home Studio in Belmont…
My Mum was always a great supporter of my Art and she would always attend many of the Exhibition and Art prizes with me.. She would call herself my Sales & Marketing Agent.. Sadly, she passed away in 2020,6 mths before she turned 100 and just before I won the Town of Mural Arts Major Watercolour award, a month later. I only wish I could’ve shared this achievement with her, but hopefully she was there with me .. as I am sure she would not have missed it …
A Current Member of…
Hunter Arts Network
Maitland Region Society of Artists
Society of Artists Newcastle
Newcastle & Lake Macquarie Art Society
Newcastle Plein Air Painters
Newcastle Urban Sketchers
Central Coast Watercolour Society