A Full Circle Moment With The QVB
The Queen Victoria Building (one of Sydney’s most iconic heritage buildings and shopping destinations) and I go way back. Long before I became a live illustrator, The QVB was simply the place where my family spent a lot of time.
When I was a toddler, my dad worked as a chef in one of the restaurants there - and my mum would push me around in a pram waiting for him to finish his shift. It’s funny how places that once held tiny, everyday memories can become such meaningful parts of your career later on.
As it turns out, The QVB was one of my first big clients - painting dogs for them during the Year of The Dog (2018). I was about six months pregnant with my first, and painted sooo many dogs over 4 days. Every morning, I’d arrive to long queues of people with photos of their pets, all excited to have me illustrate their furry friends. It was my first taste of live event illustration - fast-paced, back-to-back portraits, and the joy of connecting with people through art. I loved every minute of it.
The QVB then asked me back for a Vogue Fashion’s Night Out watercolour workshop, and then again in 2020 for bauble lettering. This year, they asked me to host an intimate 50-person watercolour workshop as part of their Style Matters campaign. It was a first for me - being onstage, teaching watercolour to a room full of (mostly) strangers. I was SO nervous, but it went well. Better than well! And if you were there, thank you for coming and painting with me - your energy, questions, and enthusiasm made the experience unforgettable!
Despite each project being so different from the last, it felt like a full-circle moment with a place that has quietly been part of my life since my childhood. And hosting that workshop sparked something for me. I enjoyed the format more than I expected - the teaching, the creative energy in the room - I’m considering offering Watercolour Workshops where you can come paint with me in a smaller, creative setting. Nothing locked in yet… but watch this space!
THEN & NOW
