Resolved Drawing Number 1
Royal Hotel Queanbeyan 1927. 2025. Graphite Pencil on 200gsm paper. 21cm x 29.5cm.
In resolved work number one, I used observational methods learnt in week one drawing, which involved placing objects in space onto a two-dimensional surface using relative positional measurements and lines. I have captured a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface for my resolved work. I used the lessons I learned in two-point perspective. I enjoyed this mathematical approach to my drawing; I practised four buildings using this approach, some of which were simple thirty-second sketches using the formula, resulting in a more detailed sketch. I enjoyed the process and the result. The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan 1927. I believe I got the perspectives correct and included many details and shading, which I learned in the interior exercise scene. I included two vanishing points. I used these measurements to ensure the hotel’s rendition was as accurate as possible. I used an old photo as my reference, taken on 21/6/1927. I love this building; it is so beautiful and authentic to the style of the early 20th century. I also loved the old style of car. This mathematical approach to perspective really appealed to my style of ultrarealism.
Resolved Drawing Number 2
View from my Front Porch. 2025. Water-soluble Ink on 200 gsm Paper. 21cm x 29.5cm.
I used all the skills I learned in week three. The view from my front porch included natural and manmade elements. As a realistic artist, I allowed myself to use a looser style than usual and enjoyed painting plein-air. It was also my first time using Ink with a paintbrush. I loved this medium when diluted; it acted like watercolour, getting different tones, but I could add extra detail at the end using an ink pen. The flowing ink created depth and shadow. Using these two techniques, I was able to make an atmospheric drawing. I carefully observed the lines and tonal contrast. I also used negative space in the sky, manipulating the ink to create a natural atmospheric effect. I find the final result visually appealing. It was the first time I had painted in plein-air, which felt uncomfortable with people walking past, but I loved the result.
Resolved Drawing Number 3
Old Bloke. 2025. Coloured pencils on Black Card. 24cm x 33cm.
I used a reference from Karen Hull’s book, Realistic Portraits in Coloured Pencil, by Karen Hull,2019, Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., to draw this portrait of a bearded old man. I used my ultra-realism style to produce this drawing. It took nearly 30 hours to complete, but I think I have captured the essence of the old guy. I left his beard and hair pretty loose, but the detail in the face is impeccable, producing a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface. I especially love drawing eyes, making them rounded and shiny. I used C’aran D’Ache Luminance, Pablo, Faber and Castell Polychromos coloured pencils. These pencils blended beautifully as I built up the layers. I started with an under drawing using neutral colours and gradually built up layers until I was happy with the overall effect. I find that side views or three-quarter poses in a portrait work best, as it can be tricky to get the eyes perfect. I had fun building up the layers of his moustache. I was fascinated when I concentrated on his skin, revealing a life lived with his deep wrinkles and cracked skin. I chose a black card as a support as I wanted to showcase the varying colours of his skin. Polychromos has a good selection of grey pencils in both warm and cool tones, which I found very useful for blending with other colours to get the shadows.
Resolved Painting Number 1
Guilding the Lily. 2025. Metallic Watercolour Paints on 200gsm paper. 21cm x 29.5cm.
.For my resolved work, still life, I used watercolour. The elements from the exercise made me look at the shapes within the object I was painting, especially in the glass vessel and the flower’s petals. I visualised the negative space to get the contours correct. I chose a clear glass vase because I enjoy trying to capture the image of light on glass and water, including refraction. It was a joy to paint these vivid lilies, so I decided to paint them true to life and not use bold colours from the tube. I called the painting Guiding the Lily based on the expression,” There is no need to guide a lily”, but as I used metallic paint, these lilies are well and truly guilded but still look natural. I have never used these metallic paints before and was pleased with the overall effect. I used the wet-on-wet technique for the background and foreground and wet-on-dry for the detail with the lilies. I built up the layers. The flower at the back left is less detailed, and I wanted it to be less prominent and disappear into the background. I used the same technique for the leaves to create a 3d effect. I could mix the colours to get the exact shade of the petals. I used 200 gsm paper, so it buckled. I usually use 300 gsm. I know I can iron the back of the painting and put it into a frame, and it will not be noticeable, but I will be more careful in the future.
Resolved Painting Number 2
Mother’s Day. 2025. Cotman Watercolour Paints on 300gsm Cotton paper. 21cm x 29.5cm.
For my resolved work based on these exercises, I wanted to concentrate on tones. I painted a still life, focusing on colour, shades, tones and hues. I decided to paint a still life as the focus. I painted white calla lilies. When you contemplate the colour white, it is easy to dismiss it and say yes, it’s a white flower, but in nature, nothing is just white. It has hues of blue, grey, yellow and even green. Other colours are reflected in the white petals. For example, the yellow stamen makes a golden glow inside its petals and the green stems also reflect the shades of green. I painted the background in harmonious colours, so it did not detract from the flower, which I wanted to be the primary focus. I enjoyed completing this painting, which I will give to my mum for her birthday. I did not use a reference painting; I painted from a still life. I think I have captured enough realism with a painterly feel (abstract element), I think I manipulated this watercolour well in creating an interesting but not intrusive background using wet in wet but finalising the detailing of the flowers with wet on dry.
Resolved Painting Number 3
Four Heads are better than two? 2025. Acrylic Paint on Canvas. 29.7cm x 42cm
For this finished work, I used the elements from week five and six painting exercises, particularly inverting and using bold colours in ways that go against convention and you don’t expect. I drew four portraits overlapping in the centre, creating multiple geometric shapes which I coloured randomly using five bright colours. I then used a flesh colour from the colour mixing exercise. To reflect the chaos of the centre, I introduced some colour into the top part of the heads. I realised that adding realistic elements to abstract art can confuse the brain, and it sees a realistic painting even though it has disordered elements, creating a cognitive dissonance, where your eyes move from recognising the abstract element whilst also identifying the realistic illusion simultaneously. I think this is why effective abstract art can leave the viewer with an uncomfortable feeling, like the feature of the face with harsh, sharp edges instead of blending to achieve a realistic effect. The painting portrays 4 heads of the exact figure, and they are all shouting at one another, and their language is a jumbled mess of colours gradually taking over their faces. They are not listening to each other but just trying to drown out the opinions of the other three guys. I don’t think I have quite finished this painting. I could add more detail and put some question marks around the heads. I hope the viewer feels some emotion when observing this work. I have many online articles to try to find a way to enjoy abstract art.
Resolved Printmaking Work Number 1 – Screen Printing and Lino Cut Printing.
I have not practised in printmaking before, except for potato printing with my children 30 years ago, so I began the project with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. It was a steep learning process, and it was definitely a lot harder than I had anticipated. I have CPTSD, and it takes a long time to overcome trauma and to aid this, I have a Bichon Frise, who is my therapy dog. He is called Happy because he is always Happy. I decided to honour him with a print. I designed him with his usual expression —bright eyes, a shiny nose, and a lolling tongue. I chose lines radiating from him to make him the centre of attention, and I decided to make a border using bones, his favourite food, paw prints, and flowers. I enjoyed carving the piece, and I learned a lot. I realised it was better to make shallow cuts several times rather than deep cuts that cause the engraving tool to slip. The result was not as crisp as I wanted, so I tried several types of paper. I tried rice paper, 100% cotton paper at 300 gsm and 110 gsm cartridge paper. The best result was the 110 gsm, but I was still unhappy with the print quality. I will continue to practice lino-cutting, as I find the process soothing and mindful.
Resolved Printmaking Work Number 2 – Collage.
I chose to complete my collage exercise using fabric. I chose two pieces because I did not take photos of the first project as it came together, so I finished another quilt to show the steps I used. I have been making quilts for twenty-plus years. Painting with fabric, especially in quilt-like form, creates a powerful interplay between history, tradition, and my personal narrative. As a child, I was abused and neglected. It has taken most of my adult life to recover from my experiences, and I now feel strong. My experiences are reflected in a lot of my work.
Quilt Number 1 “The White Picket Fence”
Traditionally, the white picket fence represents an idealised version of security and stability. In this piece, it serves as both a contrast and a longing, a marker of what should have provided safety but instead blocked out pain. Yet, instead of being a barrier, the fence becomes part of my growth. The wild flowers here are untamed, growing in defiance of their surroundings. They are survivors, thriving despite neglect. They represent my resilience and, as an adult, my ability to flourish beyond the hardships of childhood. Unlike carefully cultivated garden flowers, wildflowers bloom where they can, a testament to their strength despite adversity. Quilts embody comfort, warmth, and continuity. Historically, quilts carry stories; stitched together from pieces of lives, memories, survival, and healing. In using this medium, I am merging my past pain with present strength, showing how something once fractured can be sewn into something beautiful and whole. The fabric’s softness contrasts with the harsher realities of pain, but even in silence, there is endurance. The image presents an unspoken struggle yet refuses to be defined solely by suffering.
The growth of wildflowers, the meticulous stitching —these speak to the quiet perseverance of survival; it is an act of reclaiming space. It transforms raw emotion into something tangible, something permanent. It is gentle yet defiant, warm yet provoking, traditional yet progressive.
Quilt Number 2: “The Drunkard’s Walk”
This project began with a question: how can I speak of silent suffering without using words? I used fabric soft, familiar, forgiving and comforting. I chose the Drunkard’s Walk quilt pattern, whose winding curves felt like a map of my early life. The name evokes instability, confusion, and judgment, but I could see something else in pattern, movement, persistence, and the quiet determination to keep going. Curved quilt patterns are notoriously complex and require much more concentration and accuracy, so with each curve I stitched, there was a memory, not always clear, not always kind, but I was present and I was strong. I chose colours that evoked emotion: turquoise for grief and resilience, and dark blue for innocence and hope. These weren’t just aesthetic choices; they were emotional markers that guided me through the process. Working with fabric allowed me to “paint” with texture, layering meaning through collage and printmaking. The quilt format gave me a sense of ritual and safety; quilts are traditionally made communally and passed down through generations. Mine is solitary, but it carries the same intention: to comfort, to witness, to endure. This piece is not gaudy; it doesn’t scream its story, but it holds it quietly. It speaks of survival, of stitching together fragmented fabric into something whole. It is a protest made in softness. A reminder that strength doesn’t always look like armour, it can be disguised as a quilt.
Resolved Printmaking Work Number 3 – Concertina Book
As a primary school teacher, I thought I would write a children’s storybook. I wanted to imbibe the book with emotional and symbolic weight. I used realism with surreal accents; I wanted it to have luminous, otherworldly elements. I wanted a procession of native animals, each bringing its own rhythm and charm to the parade. I see it as a metaphor for personal growth and healing, but I didn’t want it to lose its whimsical appeal.
Each bushland animal tells a story:
Title Panel. The Moonlit Clearing Awakens: A still bush scene under moonlight. Eyes peek from the trees. The air hums with a secret.
Panel 1. Bilby the Dreamer emerges, trailing stars from her ears. She’s shy, but her dreams light the path.
Panel 2. Wombat the Builder rolls along with a backpack of paintbrushes, flowers and garden tools. He’s earthy, gruff, but reliable.
Panel 3. Sugar Glider the Daredevil swoops in, leaving shimmering trails across the sky. Confidence and chaos!
Panel 4. Echidna the Storyteller arrives with scrolls tied to her spine, eyes glimmering with memory.
Panel 5. Koala the Meditator floats on a eucalyptus leaf, eyes half-closed, glowing with calm.
Panel 6. Kookaburra, the Herald cackles from a twisted branch, announcing joy and mischief.
Final Panel. The bush glows golden. All the animals gather in a circle, dancing beneath starlight, a triumphant finale of colour and laughter.
This bushland procession has an emotional rhythm through colour, poetry that flows like music from a shimmering dream to an earthy wisdom in gleeful moonlight.
The text for the story is:
The Moonlit Clearing Awakens: A still bush scene under the moon. Eyes peek from out of the trees. The air hums with secrets and promises. Bilby the Dreamer emerges, trailing stars from her ears. She is shy, but her dreams light the path before her. Wombat the Builder rolls along with a backpack of paints and garden tools. He’s earthy, gruff, but reliable. Sugar Glider the Daredevil swoops in, leaving shimmering trails across the sky with confidence and chaos! Echidna, the Story Keeper, arrives with scrolls tied to her spines; her eyes are glimmering with memory. Koala the Meditator floats on a eucalyptus leaf, eyes half-closed and glowing with calm. The kookaburra, the Herald, cackles from a twisted branch; he is announcing joy and mischief. The bush glows golden, and all the animals gather in a circle, dancing beneath starlight. This is a triumphant finale of colour and laughter.
Resolved Ceramic Work – Collections
Resolved Ceramic Work – Pinch Pots
My hand-painted ceramic pots, with their delicate floral motifs and varied handles, lend charm and storytelling in small-scale form. I am inspired by Christina McLean, who makes hand-built ceramics with bold, painterly surface designs. Her work bridges art and function, which makes her pots feel both decorative and personal. My pots carry a storytelling quality. With the blue flowers and varied handles, they feel like vessels for memory and mood, blending function, beauty, and emotional resonance, once you see past the amateur work. Still, I am an amateur, and I will grow and develop my clay building practice.
Resolved Ceramic Work – Slab Built
This little jug still took me a long time to make. I had three attempts before I finally got one which did not
fully collapse. I really struggled to stop the clay from collapsing under its own weight; even my final attempt dropped a little on the handle side. The spout worked okay. I decided to paint it in the same style as the pinch pots to make a whimsical collection.
Resolved Ceramic Work – Ritual Artifact
I painted the bread basket in daring silver-coloured paint, to add glamour, like Bonnie Hislop; I have turned something humble into a centrepiece. This joyful piece carries a sense of celebration and bold personality, which aligns with Hislop’s philosophy. Encouraged by this artist, I have added text to my ceramic, “Crumbs of Joy”, which is only readable once the bread has been eaten. Bread is a nourishing, humble, everyday food that has been elevated by being placed in a shimmering artifact. The silver paint reveals an allure, serving as a memorial to domestic ritual.
The second artifact is a smaller piece using the same coil technique. The top coils I folded over on themselves to create a crocus shape, still leaving enough room to place a scented candle. The little holes between the spirals allow light to flicker through, creating a pleasing effect.
Resolved Sculpture Work – Soft Sculpture
I aimed to evoke a surreal tension, an otherworldly atmosphere. This piece aligns with my primary teaching role; it could appear during storytelling sessions, encouraging students to share their own myths, or during quiet time in the classroom, where students sit quietly, absorbing the emotional tone and offering comfort. I draw inspiration from artist Petrit Halilaj from Kosovo; he creates large-scale soft sculptures from fabric, thread, and organic materials, and his installations often reflect personal mythology, memory, and cultural identity. The narrative for this creature is as follows: in a time beyond, the world cracked open. The greedy had drained the rivers, scorched the forests, and stripped the soil. The wealthy had fled to otherworldly sanctuaries, leaving behind a fractured humanity. Those left behind, scattered across the dust-blown plains and rusted cities, survived only on memory and myth. From the edges of this void, the Sky Roarers arrived. They were stitched in prophecy and braided with memory; they descended. The Roarer did not speak, but it listened. They travelled through the ruins, gathering fragments, and with each offering, they stitched new life into the land. Over time, soft greenery started to emerge. The Roarer became a guide to the humans, not a saviour. They began to follow the Roarers and build gardens in the hollows of the old machines. The Roarer watched as it perched on broken towers, seeking signs of green. It carried messages between the new settlements, its wings whispering hope. When the first tree bloomed, golden and defiant in the ash, the Roarer stood beneath it, silent but with eyes reflecting the future.
Resolved Sculpture Work – Wearable Art
This art reflects being blinkered, not being in control of everyday life, having things done to you over which you are powerless, and being afraid to speak out. The materials I use reflect an inner strength and a sense of protecting the inner child, revealed by the beads and sparkling sequins. I wanted this piece to be haunting and poetic, with layered symbolism. The tiara and sequined veil evoke a tension between vulnerability and spectacle, protection and distortion. As an extension, I could expand ceremonial wear that critiques control, visibility, and inherited roles. The hijab as armour could evolve into a series exploring agency, gaze and protection as a feminist ritual garment. On an emotional resonance, it protects the inner child while revealing the cost of that protection. The installation
element reflects how an item of domesticity, a chair, can feel overwhelming and make one feel insignificant, as one cannot reach it to sit on it, and how some people cannot feel comfortable or safe in their own home—the woman, half-hidden in the vegetation, barely visible, lost, vulnerable, subjugated.
