Autobiography

The life-size family figures and pets are in full colour to represent the present. Their movement spirals within the picture. I am painting my new husband into the scene. Small images of the past are painted in sepia tones in the background. They circle around clockwise, beginning with me as a baby (mid-right), followed by me holding a doll, riding my bike to school, doing homework, students at boarding school, aunt’s home ‘Ivymeade’, art school years painting, sales assistant job at Grace Bros Broadway (Sydney), job selling newspapers Wynyard Station, carrying baby Michaela while pregnant with Paul, my first husband burning my paintings, his hand sawing my painting of ‘Perce’, rickety staircase entrance to our rented flat in Paddington, watercolour paintbox, two babies on my lap, single mum in Glebe with 3 children carrying Stephen, meeting my partner Brian, working in my studio in Annandale, living in Munich for 6 months, family quartet – children on strings, me on piano.