The Wildflower Letters
17 July - 27 August 2026 GYMPIE REGIONAL GALLERY
THE EXHIBITION
The Wildflower Letters began, as so many of my paintings do, with a walk. Not with a plan or an idea for a painting, but simply by spending time wandering through the Wallum landscapes that have become so deeply meaningful to me.
Over time, I found myself returning to these places again and again. Walking the same tracks through changing seasons, I began to notice the quieter things; the first wildflowers emerging after fire, seedpods opening, the way morning light softened the colours of the heath, or how a single flower could seem to appear exactly when it was needed. The more time I spent there, the more I felt the landscape was gently revealing itself.
This exhibition grew from those moments.
I began thinking about wildflowers as quiet letters from the landscape; small but meaningful correspondences that speak of resilience, impermanence, hope and belonging.
Through these oil paintings and charcoal works, I have tried to respond to those messages, capturing not only the beauty of the wildflowers themselves, but also the traces they leave behind in soil, season, atmosphere and memory.
17 July - 27 August 2026
GYMPIE REGIONAL GALLERY
HERE, AT LAST
Oil on canvas | 366 x 91 cm | 2026
I often get asked why I paint our wildflowers.
The truth is, I don’t really feel like I chose them. Somewhere along the way, they chose me.
What began as taking my camera on walks through the Wallum slowly became something much deeper. The more I returned to these places, the more I began to notice. Flowers I’d once walked straight past. The changing colours after rain. The marks left by fire and the first signs of new growth. The quiet rhythm of the seasons.
Over time, I realised I wasn’t simply walking through the landscape; I was learning to pay attention.
These paintings begin outside, on those wildflower walks. Sometimes with a photograph or a quick sketch, but more often with the experience of simply being there.
Prelude came from one of those moments, atop the high dunes of Marcus Beach in Noosa National Park, where a planned burn had begun to move through the wildflower trail a group of wildflowering women and I had just walked.
The timing, the experience and the symbolism of that moment felt nothing short of divine.
I respectfully acknowledge the Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) People, the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which much of this work was created, and pay my respects to Elders past and present. I honour their deep and ongoing connection to Country, and to the flora, stories and landscapes that have inspired this exhibition.
My heartfelt thanks to Julie and the wonderful team at Gympie Regional Gallery and Gympie Regional Council for welcoming The Wildflower Letters and supporting the development and presentation of this exhibition.
To Dr Susan Davis, thank you for your beautiful foreword and for the generosity, knowledge and passion you continue to share through the Wild/flower Women community. Your work has played such a meaningful part in deepening my connection to our local wildflowers and the landscapes they belong to.
A special thank you to Hayley Peters of Sugarplum Blooms, whose beautiful floral installations brought another dimension to the exhibition space. I am so grateful for your artistry, friendship and collaboration.
To Christine Hall Photographer, thank you for your beautiful photography and the care you take in documenting my work. And to Alexandra Rose Photography, thank you for capturing the exhibition so beautifully.
Thank you to Joe and Erin at Cool Art Picture Framing, Coolum Beach, for your craftsmanship and care in framing these works.
To my wonderful studio family at Kim Wallace Ceramics, thank you for the friendship, encouragement and creative space in which so much of this exhibition came together.
And finally, to my family, friends, fellow artists, collectors and everyone who visited and connected with The Wildflower Letters - thank you. Your encouragement, conversations and support mean more than you know, and continue to shape this beautiful journey.