Ninn. Arts
Sustainably sourced paints and glazes
Ceramics from reclaimed clay
Memorial Wares
Donations to local Conservation groups
Vegan Leather (Cork), products
Researcher

Biography and timeline of personal history in professional industries

                                                (many jobs overlapped as did my professional genres, so the timelines are intermixed)

2003 – 2024 Visual Art.

Did my first acrylic painting on my 40th birthday. I enjoyed it so much I sat up all night experimenting on seven paintings.

For next 12 years did many acrylic paintings mainly of sunsets and silhouettes, sold some privately, some at art shows, 1 at auction, some at markets. It was a fun new hobbie in between my singing.

2021 took up weekly zoom watercolour, acrylic and oil painting lessons, and in 2022 started a Diploma in Visual Arts at Tafe South bank QLD, then in 2023 articulated into Bachelor of Creative Industries (Vis. Arts.). Currently completing my first semester of 3rd year of the Bachelor with University of Canberra pathways.

1992 – 2005 allied Health

Working as a PA for the owner of Wellbeing magazine, I was sponsored to do a two-year Diploma in Remedial Therapies, as I had a few health issues. I completed the Diploma, whilst doing volunteer work for the Aids Council and Cancer Councils, also did a cert in palliative care, so I could do end of life care for AIDS patients. Many of my old theatre peers were ill with the disease.

For the next 12 years I worked in private and public health organisations, nursing homes, public hospitals, as well as my own private practice either out of my office, or rented a room at another’s practice. I paid public liability and professional Indemnity insurance annually, and also kept my current education continually updated. I worked mainly in rehab for, post-accident or stroke rehab, patients with cerebral palsy, MS, MND and other auto immune disorders. I was able to provide on the spot Health Fund rebates due to my professional bookkeeping and meeting all requirements with all industries.

I remained a registered therapist until 2003 when diagnosed with cancer.

After surgery I took a tree change and went to music school in Northern NSW...

1982 – 2015.  Singing

From 1982 onwards I answered a few adds in newspapers for singers and sang with many blues and rock bands. To my dismay most of them were pretty amateurish and I presume deaf. The louder they played the louder I had to sing, and then they’d play louder. Typical juvenile way of playing. After a few years I gave up knowing I’d either lose my voice or my sanity if I continued.

I started hanging out at Blues and jazz bars and gigs and felt home again. Turned up to any gig I could and begged for a sit in. Researched libraries for music scores and charts. Played at places like: Strawberry Hills hotel, Rogues, Mansil room, Baron’s, Bourbon and Beefsteak, Abbotsford Rowing Club, Hilton Hotel, Wynyard bars, Professional Musician’s club and many more I have forgotten now. Enjoyed singing with kate Dunbar’s jazz singers jam nights, the basement open mike nights, and the rest. I financed yself with many part time jobs of every nature to afford my performing habit. Once I drifted into Allied Health my singing faded away for that time.

I returned to singing in 2003 when studying a Diploma in contemporary music at Northern Rivers Conservatorium arts centre. Yes, another 2 year Diploma, though I never completed it, I was on the road with a band straight after final exams, and received a Cert IV for not being there the last week, I didn’t care. For the next 10 years I had local jazz bands and interstate bands that kept me moving, singing, busy, and happy.

For ten years in a row, I played at the Australian jazz Convention, Merimbula Jazz Festival, Halls Gap Jazz festival, Fete de la Musique Brisbane, Cleveland hotel jazz festival, and countless public gigs, shows and private functions. Roving trios and quartets around shopping centres and the Ekka, with jazz legends like the late greats: Nev Ollis and Tony Ashby. Sang at the cancer council relay for life at QEII stadium, Tues concerts at Brisbane City Hall, HOTA Basement, tweed heads jazz Club. My local bands rehearsed at my or their houses once a week, the interstate bands never rehearsed, We exchanged scores in my keys, and showed up on the gig ready to play and have fun.

Highlights: singing with Joe Cocker, Lou Rawls, Brian Cadd, Ingrid James, Sue Cruikshank, and playing with so many top musos that actually played with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller etc...

2006 Western Spectacular: Assistant musical director for this week-long event culminating in 1 show In Dubbo NSW.

1982 – 1994.  Cabaret

Cabaret dancing, singing, choreographing, directing, costume and make up design and produce. Run a troupe of 5 performers with two dressers. Performing across 3 eastern states on the coast of Australia, showing 1 to 3 times a night, 3-4 nights a week. Troupe names: ‘Carousell’, ‘Fantails’, ‘Time Warp’, ‘Nikone’, to name a few. Venues, ‘Ithaca Room- Brisbane City Hall’, ‘Whispers’, ‘Terminus’, ‘Charlies, Copa hut’, ‘Hollywoods’, ‘Baron’s’, ‘Pitt St Gardens, ‘Crazy Horse’, ‘The Zoo’, ‘The Basement’, ‘Ruby Reds’, ‘Patches’, Flos’, countless more RSL’s, Clubs of all sorts, nightclubs and private functions.

Choreographed and assisted directing stage show ‘BATS’, ran for 3 weeks in Western Sydney.

Highlight: Joe Coker dropping in on our rehearsal for the ‘Queen’s ball’ at ‘Whispers’ in the Valley, 1982, to do a microphone check, we sang ‘you are so beautiful’ together, to a dozen performers who were waiting to rehearse.

1977 – 1982.  Folk singing with guitar.

I started singing at 10 years old, and when given a guitar at 14 I headed out to cafes and churches to just sing and play. Mainly for tips, a meal, and lemonade. It got me out of the dramas at home and gave me a reason to smile.

Folk singing with guitar in cafés and churches, 2 – 3 times a week in NSW. Vicinities of Northbridge, Chatswood, Artarmon, Crow’s Nest, North Sydney, Sydney CBD. Hired to be ‘Kate Bush’ impersonator at different venues and gigs.

Highlight: being the opener for ‘Galapagos Duck’ at Northbridge Uniting Church, ’77 or ’78.