For as long as Maree can remember she has been creating art in some way, and was encouraged in this pursuit by both of her parents from a young age. Winning prizes with her art early in life also encouraged her. Growing up on cattle properties in Central Queensland fostered a love for the rural landscape, and the people and animals that live within them. This still shows in her work today, which is in the traditional realist style.
Portraiture and figure-drawing have always been genres that Maree has been drawn to and she constantly works to hone these skills. While enjoying using the mediums of oils, watercolour, drawing and printmaking Maree loves the immediacy of pastel, and it is her most frequent choice of medium. She believes that pastel lends itself very well to portraiture because of the beautiful luminosity you are able to achieve when painting skin. The pastel medium also suits her busy lifestyle because she can leave it and come back to it whenever the need arises.
Maree has held several joint exhibitions and been involved in many group exhibitions. She is truly grateful for all the support she has received from friends and family, and believes it is the best encouragement she could ask for. The awards and acclamation she has received in recent years has been appreciated also, including several firsts and people’s choices, most recently winning the Open section at Sarina Art Extravaganza.
