About Me

"To see the artist's soul you merely need to open your mind to their world within the art." - Me

Hi there, my name is Courtney.

For as long as I can remember I have been creating art, mostly paintings and drawings, and now I am also creating digital art through Photoshop and a little bit of sculpture. I have studied at TAFE NSW here in Australia for 2 and half years, doing a Diploma of Visual Arts, Certificate 3 in Photography and Photo Imaging and then a Certificate in Business.

Fantasy, Greek/Roman and Norse Mythology have always fascinated me, giving me both a beautiful and mysterious imagination which I then translate into beautiful story-telling artworks. I have always loved and been inspired by traditional art, from Ancient Art to the art movement Romanticism, along with their amazing artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Titian, and of course my favourite artists Sandro Botticelli and Michaelangelo. I have also been inspired by the many digital artworks created by awesomely talented digital artists who showcase their own individual perspectives on fantastical and mythic worlds.

When I am creating my art I get the feelings of satisfaction and of inner peace. Just like reading my countless of books and disappearing into their individual worlds, it is important for me as an artist to have an escape from reality where I can also disappear into my own little world. For me it's like expressing my imaginative thoughts and also giving my audience a chance to see a little glimpse of my soul.

Such Fragile Creatures - Photoshop Art

I try to at least create an artwork every month, sometimes more than one depending on the size and/or the amount of detail within the project. Some of my many artworks may not be shown on here but FEAR NOT, I usually post an image or more on my Instagram.

You might be wondering: Out of all the artworks I have created over the years which one is my favourite? What has inspired me to create it? Well... to be honest it's a bit hard to choose just one as a favourite so I will show you the artworks that I feel the most connected to and what has inspired me to create them.

Ghost of the Castle - Drawing

This was my HSC project I created for my Visual Arts class back in 2018. As part of the project we had to have a certain amount of time to plan and then create it, along with an explanation of our inspirations.

'Ghost of the Castle' was inspired by the Polish Folklore story: The White Lady of Wiśnicz Castle. According to legend the White Lady was once the young beautiful queen Barbara Radziwiłł, who married her beloved for love instead of politically. Unfortunately her evil mother-in-law did not approve, so she had Barbara unknowingly drink poisoned wine where she died in pain.

Ever since her cruel and unjust demise there have been claims of Queen Barbara's ghost, dressed in white roaming through the castle halls where she mourns for her lost marriage and love.

You can learn more about the White Lady of Wiśnicz Castle here:

https://crazypolishguy.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/polish-mythology-monday-the-white-lady-of-wisnicz-castle/#:~:text=From%20that%20time%2C%20people%20have,was%20so%20tragically%20cut%20short

Worlds Within the Pages - Drawing

I am a BIG book reader. I absolutely love reading about fantasy/mythology and paranormal romance, from vampires and werewolves, to ancient warriors and mermaids, and so much more. I feel so much at home when I am reading my countless of books, I not only imagine so many things e.g. the characters, the locations etc. but I feel like I actually disappear inside their own individual worlds.

Goddess of Wisdom - Drawing

I often wondered what each of the Greek/Norse gods and goddesses may have looked like back in their time, before the modern world today. With the help from so many references and individual perspectives it gives me ideas on what to create to show how I see all the gods and goddesses.

As the patron Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Art and more, Athena is one of my few favourite Greek goddesses and this is how I imagine her in statue form along side her owl companion. With her in shining armour and symbolic shield, my statue of Athena expresses confidence, beauty, grace, loyalty, battle-ready, wisdom and knowledge.

A Special Bond - Painting

There is something sweet about the friendship between a child and their animal companion, whether it has fur, feathers, hair or even scales. But to me there is something more special about a bond between a child living with a disability and their animal friend.

Those who live with Autism and/or disabilities have always had a special place within my heart. All through my life I have grown up around it, especially with my little brother Jacob.

I was very emotional while painting this artwork... believe me it was hard to not cry while painting. Through 'A Special Bond' I wanted to show the different emotions and connections that are formed between a Autistic/Disabled child and their an animal companion, and express that even though they are different from us, either mentally/emotionally or physically or both, they are still such resilient and beautiful human beings.

If you would like to learn more about Autism, here are some websites that will help:

https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/about-autism/what-is-autism

https://www.autismawareness.com.au