Growing up in regional NSW gave me a really strong sense of character and storytelling. Country towns are full of good times, community spirit and little moments that probably feel ordinary when you’re living them, but become really nostalgic once you step back from them. A lot of my work comes from that. Pub culture, rodeos, local legends, parties, country music playing in the background, blokes at the bar, dusty paddocks, all those really Australian moments that make it feel like home.

I think being from the country also gave me permission to not make my work feel too polished or serious. There’s humour and looseness in regional Australia that I really love, and I try to carry that into everything I paint.

Honestly, I just kept finding myself drawn back to the things I grew up around. For a while I didn’t really realise how unique or visually rich regional Australia actually was, because to me it was just normal life. But the more I painted, the more I realised there was something really special in those everyday country scenes and characters.

I also felt like a lot of Australian art about rural life was either very serious or very traditional, and I wanted to bring a fresh energy to it. I loved the idea of mixing nostalgia with modern culture, making work that still felt deeply Australian, but with a bit more humour, colour and personality to it.

A lot of my inspiration comes from memories more than exact places. It’s the feeling of a country pub on a Friday night, old country songs playing, people telling stories, everyone knowing each other. That atmosphere is what I’m always trying to capture.

I think there was a point where the creative urge to paint just took over and I knew it was something I had to do. I was painting constantly outside of work hours, and trying to build an audience online. Then I started to see people genuinely connecting with what I was creating. The momentum was there, but I knew if I really wanted to give it a proper shot, I had to back myself fully.

It was definitely scary at the start, especially coming from a regional town where becoming a full-time artist doesn’t necessarily feel like the “safe” or normal path. But I think that uncertainty also pushed me harder. Once I committed to it, everything grew really quickly.

I still feel very grateful that I get to paint Australian stories and make a career out of something I love so much.

Country music has probably influenced my work more than anything else creatively. A lot of country songs are built around storytelling, nostalgia and character, and that’s exactly how I approach painting. I’m less interested in creating something perfect, and more interested in creating something that feels like a memory or a moment people recognise emotionally.

I also love how country music can be funny, heartbreaking, rough around the edges and beautiful all at once. There’s a real honesty to it. I think that balance has shaped the tone of my work a lot. It’s nostalgic and emotional, but there’s usually humour and personality woven through it too.

A lot of my inspiration also comes from nights at the pub with friends, and I can tell you right now there has never been a night at the pub where Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, The Chicks or Slim didn’t get played!

To me, Slim represents storytelling in its purest Australian form. His music captures such a real version of the country, the humour, the hardship, the mateship, the characters and the everyday moments that make regional Australia what it is.

I think what I connect to most is that his songs never felt forced or overcomplicated. They felt honest. That’s something I really try to carry into my own work as well. I want my paintings to feel familiar and genuine, like they belong to the people and places they’re inspired by.

There’s also a huge nostalgia tied to his music for so many Australian, including me. Even people who didn’t grow up listening to him usually recognise the feeling his songs create. I love that his work has become part of the fabric of Australian culture, and I think that’s really special.

My favourite would have to be Waltzing Matilda. To me, it almost feels more like the Australian national anthem than the national anthem itself. There’s something about hearing a group of people sing it together that genuinely gives me goosebumps every time.

I think it’s because it feels like the song of the people. It belongs to everyone. No matter your age or where you’re from, most Australians know it, and there’s this really special feeling of connection when it comes on. It carries so much history, storytelling and Australian spirit in such a simple but powerful way.

More than anything, I want people to feel something familiar in my work. Even if they’ve never lived in a country town, I hope there’s a sense of nostalgia, humour or connection that pulls them in. A lot of my paintings are really about people, memories and the little moments that become part of Australian culture without us even realising it.

I want the work to feel fun and emotional at the same time. There’s usually a bit of chaos, a bit of romance, a bit of humour and a bit of heartbreak in country life, and I love trying to capture all of that together.

I also hope people feel proud of Australia when they look at it. Not in a polished postcard kind of way, but in a real way. The pubs, the characters, the stories, the imperfections, the nostalgia. I think there’s so much beauty in those everyday moments, and I love creating work that celebrates them.

There have been a few moments that have felt really surreal. Selling out exhibitions and collaborations so quickly was probably one of the first times I realised people were genuinely connecting with the work in a big way. Going from painting in my spare time to seeing entire collections sell out in minutes completely changed my confidence as an artist.

Collaborating with iconic Australian brands has also been a huge milestone for me, especially brands that already feel woven into Australian culture. Those opportunities have felt really aligned with the stories and nostalgia I’m trying to capture through my work.

Another massive moment was growing an audience online while staying true to my style. I never wanted to create work that felt overly polished or disconnected from who I am, so building a community around authentic Australian storytelling has been really special.

More than anything though, the biggest milestone has probably just been being able to make a full-time career out of painting regional Australian life. That still feels pretty wild to me.

I hope future generations continue to celebrate the sense of community that exists in regional Australia. There’s something really special about country culture, the storytelling, the humour, the resilience, the way people show up for each other and create meaning out of everyday moments.

I also hope we don’t lose the characters. Regional Australia has always had such unique personalities, traditions and ways of life, and I think that’s what gives it so much soul. In a world where everything can start to feel very fast and polished, I think there’s something really valuable about holding onto places and cultures that still feel grounded and human.

More than anything, I hope people continue to romanticise and celebrate country Australia instead of seeing it as something outdated. There’s so much beauty, creativity and identity in it, and I think those stories deserve to keep being carried forward

If everyone could love regional Australia just half as much as I do, I’d be one happy gal.