Video Courtesy of WEDU.
America, the land of opportunity, wow, and here I am ready to use my talent and skills to earn a living, embrace my adopted country and fulfill my dreams of sharing and healing, for myself and others through the integration of Art and Music.
It wasn’t consciously part of my plan to be in America, but I’d met a gorgeous American in Australia when he was on vacation. We corresponded for a time getting to know each other, and then I took the opportunity, when he sent me a plane ticket, to “come for a visit.” Well I came; I visited, got engaged, and then married….all within 2 and 1/2 months!!
I had taken a giant leap of faith in mid-life, and for the longest time I was a homesick mixture of happy, sad, lost and lonely. I missed the support of my family and friends, and the delightful ease of life ‘Down-Under’. I lost my independence because I couldn’t cope with driving on the wrong side of the road in such volumes of crazy fast paced traffic.
A quote I’d read came to mind ‘A depressing and difficult passage has prefaced every new page I have turned in my life,’ Charlotte Bronte, I found this to be true.
I was born in Invercargill, the southernmost city in the beautiful South Island of New Zealand. Later in life, I moved to Australia.
My Maori heritage and culture involves the extended family. It incorporates a community of caring and sharing for young and old alike. The wisdom of the elders leads and guides the community in tune with the God Spirit, Father, and the Land, Mother.
Music: As the eldest girl in a family of six, Art and Music were normal aspects of my growing life,
I studied music and graduated in both Trinity and Royal Schools of Music London, in theory of music and Pianoforte.
As a vocal soloist I’ve been singing Jazz, Ballads and songs from the great Musicals, but I’ve also enjoyed working as a team with other musicians in duos, trios, larger bands and orchestra’s, performing in five star hotels and Restaurants around New Zealand, Australia and Sarasota Florida.
I’ve loved performing in Choral groups over the years with one especially memorable performance at Carnegie Hall, soon after I arrived in America.
Teaching had been a big part of my life in Australia and I loved giving individual lessons: ‘Singing for Fun, Healing and Therapy’.
Also while in Australia I recorded my first album ‘Sophisticated Lady’ with a full orchestral backing. The soundtrack can be heard on my website.
Metamorphosis in the Garden of Life
Art: I trained in Art College in New Zealand, studying Lettering, Illustration and Design, and earned a living working as an artist for a local Newspaper, Advertising Agencies, and as a Display Manager for a chain of fashion stores.
It had taken over half a lifetime of study, exams, vocal performing, an artistic career, marriage and motherhood; now here I was in America, reality was setting in, and I was feeling overcome, depressed fearful and dependent on my husband!
Despite my doubt, my awesome husband believed in me and showed me unconditional love, support and encouragement. Before I could click the heels of my red shoes together 3 times and say “there’s no place like home” I realized hey….this WAS home! I told myself in my best Kiwi/Aussie accent to count my blessings, find my ‘Goddess Self’, live in the creative moment, and re-connect with those things I’d been passionate about.
So armed with some colored pencils, markers, and a borrowed wobbly card table I set up my studio in the bedroom and started creating Birthday and Anniversary cards etc for family and friends. That developed into a family Birthday calendar for Christmas Gifts. I also began to write and illustrate a book for my grandkids about adopting my beautiful black cat Miss Bronte from the Animal Shelter.
Before I knew it I had created a Bronte Alphabet, and a series of Greeting Cards and another book entitled The Rainbow’s Dream and Song. I’d called upon my God Source, my earlier training, my creative muse, and began to carve out a whole new career for myself and fulfill my destiny to integrate the healing energy of Art and Music.
Artist Statement: My Art chose me to give life to Mandalas, Mermaids, Angels, Goddesses and Cats. I was inspired along the way in my growing spiritual life by a closer connection and trust in God, and the love and inspiration I constantly found in nature, rainbows, animals and stained glass windows.
I’m focusing on licensing my art on products, publishing my children’s picture books, Calendars, and my variety of unique style greeting cards.
I encourage everyone to grow spiritually and heal, through finding something to be passionate about. Cease self doubt and judgment, and realize self acceptance and love through your inner artist and voice!
If you can speak, you can sing! Training the ‘ear’ to sing in ‘tune’ is simply about persistent repetition of a note, until the ‘same’ level of sound is duplicated.
A quote on the Home page of my website reads: It’s our CHOICE to live in the bright Rainbow of our Hopes and not the dark clouds of our fears.”
May you be a contributor to World Peace, Joy, and Healing.