This work captures a moment shared with my dog in Callan Park, which sits on the traditional lands of the Wangal and Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The park was established as a place of refuge for the mentally ill—a quiet retreat from the chaos of the world outside. The buildings now sit in a state of dereliction, their residents long gone. Yet, the park itself endures. Materially, this work maintains a connection to place, with the dripped enamel paint resting on pressed tin salvaged from derelict buildings. This grounds the work within the very landscape it represents. Despite recent changes and new plans for renovation, the oasis remains as it was always intended to be. Born in Wagga Wagga, I began my undergraduate studies in Graphic Design and Photography at Nepean CAE. I worked as an Art Director and Illustrator in London and Los Angeles before returning to Australia. It was only after settling in one place with a large family that I started to paint. I have always painted what I see in my stomping ground. That has ranged from views into Darlinghurst apartments at night to scenes from favourite Sydney beaches and familiar views of buildings in the narrow Victorian streets of Forest Lodge. While most of my work has focused on the built environment, my recent paintings reflect a return to nature, influenced by a partial return to the rural landscape of my childhood. These include enamel works on locally found objects or custom-made wooden frames, along with landscapes painted en plein air in acrylic on paper and board. It is these moments of respite in the bush and the parks of inner-city Sydney with my dog that fill me with calm and gratitude. I was recently selected as a finalist in the 2026 Grace Cossington Smith Art Award and the 2025 Greenway Art Prize. I have also been a finalist in the 2026, 2025, and 2024 Waverley Woollahra Art School 9x5 Landscape Prize, and my work has featured in both group and solo exhibitions.