Maureen began to paint seriously about eight years ago. She is self-taught but also spent a year at the Tasmanian School of Art.
Maureen lives with her husband Graham, their golden retriever and two British blue cats in Mount Nelson, Hobart, Tasmania. Maureen's studio is in the attic. Through the dormer windows there's a view of Mount Wellington. And through the towering gums that surround the house she can just see the Tasman Bridge.
'My studio is my space and I believe it reflects who I am. What I like most is the silence. In a world that is sometimes very cluttered I find my silence both inspiring and empowering.'
As well as painting, Maureen keeps busy as a teacher, consultant and researcher in educational drama at the University of Tasmania. Her enthusiasm for each creative area spills into the other. She loves working with adults and with kids.
'In my research as well as in my teaching, the boundaries between life, teaching, art and research are becoming more and more perforated.'
Almost every Saturday morning, you can find Maureen and her paintings at Hobart's famous Salamanca Market. She and Graham are up well before dawn, ready to spend six hours sharing Maureen's love of flowers with the visitors to the market. People from all over the world stop by to chat - and take away a beautiful painting.
Maureen says...
'I am often asked why I paint flowers. I wonder if this is linked to my early life on the west coast of Tasmania where I spent hours watching my mother work as a florist. The flowers I choose to paint are the ones I love. If you enter my house at any time of the year you will find it full of flowers.
'Flowers are so uncomplicated, so beautiful, so full of serenity in this challenging world.
'My palette is made of mainly transparent colours. In painting flowers I find that my subject matter is unlimited. Every flower has a different texture, form and colour.
'With every painting I challenge myself to express not just the form but also the essence of the form. I choose to work with the acrylic medium opting to use mainly the 'Golden' brand for its strength of pigment.
'Within my work I aim to achieve an exceptional three-dimensional quality describing texture through the subtle manipulation of tone, making each flower vibrant and full of life.
'I like the viewer to feel they can see into and beyond the heart of the flower.'
