People ask me what I do for work and I have to say,  I do have a wonderful job. Part of my daily work is to run a very busy little art school from my studio. I teach both adults and kids of all ages to paint.

I love to see students walk in with a big, blank canvas and then an hour or two later, they leave my studio with a colourful masterpiece. I also run ladies cheese and wine evening classes and kids birthday art parties.

There is always snacks, fun music and a lot of happy chatter at my art classes. We often all stand back and view the art works from a distance and clap with cheers at my students beautiful, completed art pieces.

Art is meant to be fun and interactive, a place to relax and connect with your inner creative self. It can have a profound effect on ones persona.

I recently received a wonderful compliment from a mum who said both she and her son's school teacher had noticed a vast difference in his behaviour since he had started doing art lessons with me.

I regularly run school holiday art workshops as well. These past summer holidays I had a 5 year old come and paint with her best friend. She had never painted before and squealed with delight as she splashed the colour onto her canvas, saying... "This is just TOO MUCH fun. This is the best day ever!"  It was so delightful to see the joy on her face as she painted (this is her painting a vase of flowers below).

Recently I ran an art workshop for a ladies birthday party. A friend of mine booked in for a class with her mum and sister to celebrate her birthday. After some yummy champagne, crackers and cheese, they began to paint. She later told me that even though the three of them live in the same city, they hardly ever do anything together and this was a wonderful, creative way of allowing them to reconnect and laugh together.

So many beautiful stories to share, from foster children coming to paint and their self esteem soaring, to adults overcoming their fears of putting brush to canvas after years of blocked creativity.

This art studio has been a wonderful place of beauty and connection. Peoples paths cross here daily and hearts leave with just a little sparkle or "spring in their step".  Women from my community have come to paint and we have all wept for the loss of one of their mothers who had recently passed away. We painted abstract art pieces to commemorate her life. Such memorable moments.

I have been teaching art classes for over 22 years in various cities and countries. My current art studio space is only 3 years young. It was once a cold, oil stained, ugly garage, filled with old cans of paint and broken tiles. There was a rusty iron grate on the front. My husband and I set out to transform the space into something bright, colourful and inviting. We painted the walls and the floors and had French doors put on the front. We had lights installed and vintage lamp shades hung from the ceiling. I regularly run dinner nights in this space with women in my community too. It certainly is a space of fun and laughter.

I feel privileged to be able to meet with so many people on a daily basis through the means of creativity. Each and every person's life is a beautiful story which I feel honoured to have the opportunity to share in.