I am a creative soul living and working on Turrbal and Yuggera Country in Brisbane, Queensland.
I make sculptural ceramic artwork that makes my heart sing and other people happy.
MY PRACTICE
My work is, at first glance, a celebration of birds and flowers—but at its core, it is an inquiry into joy and connection.
It reflects the joy I find in combining the tactile experience of clay with human themes and botanical inspiration. This sense of playfulness translates into my finished pieces, inviting others to share in that feeling.
As someone from elsewhere else, native flora and fauna offer the South African in me a uniquely Australian way to connect to my adopted home. I explore design, colour and pattern through flowers and foliage and use native birds to bring implied movement, song and often a human narrative.
Underlying all my work is a reminder of our fragile relationship with the natural world.
MY WORK
I create sculptural vessels and totem poles. In my vessels, I explore themes of connection through the rhythms of change—domestic life, friendship, nostalgia and the interplay of absence and return. I draw inspiration from shifting seasons and the ebb and flow of life, weaving threads that mark people, places and past experiences.
They offer a space to playfully explore the relationship between form and surface. I incorporate leather cord, thread, grass and mosaics, to add layers of texture and meaning. Each piece is hand-built, layered with slip, colour and texture across varied clay bodies, and finished with glazes, underglazes, stains and oxides.
My totem sculptures are different. They are bold and designed to make an expressive statement. Each conical form, crowned with a single totem, stands as a quiet yet powerful sentinel among foliage in courtyards and balcony gardens. I enjoy the freedom these simple forms offer — space to paint, carve and layer marks that together build depth and texture, creating imagery that invites contemplation.
Whether through surface design or sculptural form, I embrace the flexibility of moving between two- and three-dimensional art — keeping my practice dynamic and ever-evolving.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
SPECTIVE
FRI 17-21 APRIL 2026
FIELD TRIP GALLERY, 1 LATROBE TCE, PADDINGTON, BRISBANE
SPECTIVE is a group exhibition bringing together four Brisbane artists exploring nature, form and perspective through different mediums.
Featuring Ren Brazel (fine art photography), Kath McCann (mixed media), Rhianon Vichta-Ohlsen, (ceramics) and Susan Trimble (ceramics), the exhibition highlights how each artist interprets organic materials and natural patterns in their own distinctive way.
Through photography, sculptural ceramics and layered mixed media, familiar elements such as botanicals, vessels and textures are transformed into works that invite curiosity and reflection. Each artist offers a different perspective, creating an exhibition where approaches and materials intersect while sharing a connection to the natural world.
Join us for the opening evening on Friday 17th March, 5–8pm to experience the exhibition, meet the artists and enjoy a relaxed creative atmosphere with drinks and nibbles.
This is a free event, however registrations through the QR code below helps us know numbers for the evening. Everyone is welcome.
🥂 Exhibition Opening Fri 17 April, 5-8pm
🌸 Tea & Artist Talks, Sun 19 April, 11am
📅 Fri 17 - Tues 21 April 2026
🕙 10am-5pm daily
BUSHLAND IMPRESSIONS 4
SAT 23 - SUN 7 JUNE 2026
MAROOCHY BUSHLAND BOTANIC GARDENS, SUNSHINE COAST, QUEENSLAND
Bronwyn Barton, Kristina Pearson, Kath Melzer, Pattie Murray and Susan Trimble
Makers Perspective is back in 2026... at a new time of year and for an extra long two weeks exhibition! I am delighted to be invited back again and this time with ceramic artist, Patty Murray. Lots of new, beautiful botanical work!
📅 Sat 23 May - Sun 7 June 2026
🕙 10am-4pm daily