My childhood was spent exploring the nearby Christies Creek and riding my BMX everywhere I could. Art was always in my life as my father worked as a commercial illustrator and graphic designer. Many of my fondest memories are attending exhibitions with my dad at the Art Gallery of South Australia where we marvelled over artists as diverse as Pablo Picasso, Tom Roberts, Grace Cossington Smith, Walter Sickert, Clarice Beckett and George Lambert.
After spending my primary school years drawing on everything from the backs of envelopes to the inside covers of books, I progressed to painting in high school.
When I went to university I decided to study English literature and Australian Studies. This interest in history and narrative now feeds into my current visual art practice.
Over the years I have worked in various fields including retail, local libraries and public relations. Along with producing my own artwork I now also help curate a large collection of paintings by my late father, Peter Chaplin.
In 2011, in collaboration with photographer Andrew King, I presented 'The Body on the Beach' exhibition at the Bay Discovery Centre. This show focused on the ongoing mystery of the unknown man who was found dead on Somerton Beach in 1948.
My second large exhibition of works was in May 2015 when I co-presented 'Good Sports' with fellow painter Kate Bower at the Bapea Art School Gallery.
In August 2016 I opened my studio to present 'The Tourists' - a series of paintings inspired by old family photos and travel accessories displayed alongside works by my father.
For three years from 2013 I studied portraiture, figure painting and life drawing at the Bapea Art School under the instruction of Peter Bok. Peter's tutelage was a wonderful blend of the technical and the experimental and he drew on many different influences from art history.
Recently I have found new inspiration in landscape painting - particularly the abstract colours and shapes of clouds. This was a fascination of mine in my childhood and it's been lovely to find renewed pleasure in a juvenile interest.
