ABOUT
I was always "the kid who could draw". As a young child, you could give me some toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and some craft glue, and I'd be set for days. During primary school, I was the kid who rocked up with a colourful poster filled with drawings and fancy block lettering... for my maths homework!
In high school, I would find any excuse to spend my day in the art and design rooms, even if I was supposed to be in another class. I would sit at the back of the art room and draw. I even started selling graphite portrait commissions and advertised my business by putting pamphlets in letterboxes and hanging flyers at my local supermarkets and community noticeboards! My art teacher suggested that I could potentially make art my career, but I always assumed it wasn't a reliable profession.
After school, I stopped creating art for a few years, before I realised I wasn't happy unless I was creating artwork. So I slowly got back into it, and I can't imagine my life without it now!
When I started taking drawing and painting more seriously, I discovered a lot of people using materials that aren't archival or lightfast. This was a problem, because their artwork had the potential to fade, flake, discolour, or crack over time, due to the art supplies they were using.
On the other hand, there were artists using professional supplies, but they spent 50 to 100 hours on a single piece of art, which would drive me insane! Or there were oil painters who seemed to be speaking another language they must have picked up from their fancy art school...
I couldn't find many artists who used archival art supplies, created realistic artwork, and explained what they were doing in a way that was easy to understand. I soon developed a passion for helping other artists with the same problem.
More recently, I've been diagnosed with several chronic illnesses, including POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis), and MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome), along with an ADHD and Autism diagnosis. This has changed a lot about how I run KR Fine Art Academy, upload to YouTube, and show up on social media, and it has also changed my day-to-day life. Over the last few years, I've worked with a number of specialists and doctors to figure out my new normal, how to pace myself, and how to avoid burning out. I've also been open about living with anxiety and depression for most of my life, because mental health matters to me just as much as my art!
I know a lot of my audience deals with similar things, whether that's a chronic illness, a mental health condition, or being neurodivergent, and I want you to know you're not alone! If you need to slow down, take breaks, or do things a bit differently to reach your goals, that's more than okay. I'm proof that you can keep creating and building something you love, even when your body or brain has other plans for you!
Since sharing this on social media, I've had so many other artists and followers reach out and share their own stories about their physical and mental health journeys, and how creating art has become a huge part of their lives.
Art helps so many people feel joy when they're going through a tough time, and there's a huge community of people out there who will support each other and share their creative journey, and this motivates me to keep creating!
This is the reason I created my YouTube channel and the KR Fine Art Academy to you everything you need to transform your art, boost your confidence, and truly enjoy the process of creating art you're proud of!
A W A R D S
"Poise" - 2023 - First Prize - Royal Adelaide Show
"Poise" - 2023 - Kym Bonython Award for Artists 18-30 - Royal Adelaide Show
"Captivate" - 2023 - Second Prize - Royal Adelaide Show
"Wisdom" - 2023 - Third Prize - Royal Adelaide Show
"Wisdom" - 2021 - Highly Commended - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
"Poise" - 2021 - People's Choice Award - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
"Wiser" - 2019 - Highly Commended - Ekka (Royal Brisbane Show)
"Nobility" - 2018 - First Prize - Royal Adelaide Show Art Prize
"Vineyard" - 2018 - Second Prize - Royal Adelaide Show Art Prize
"Peek-A-Boo" - 2018 - First Prize Under 25 years - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
S H O W S
2023 - Royal Adelaide Show
2021 - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
2019 - Ekka (Royal Brisbane Show)
2019 - Brisbane Rotary Spectacular
2018 - Walkerville Rotary Art Show
2018 - Royal Adelaide Show Art Prize
2018 - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
2017 - Churchlands Rotary Art Show