Can you tell me what it was like for you when you were growing up?

I grew up on a farm about 20 miles from Warwick, which is a small town on the Darling Downs in Queensland Australia. I am the second youngest of eight children and the youngest of five daughters.

What did your parents do for a living?

My parents were, and still are, farmers - although technically they are retired they still live on the farm which has been in the family for four generations now. That may not seem much but for Australians that is a long time!!

Did your parents influence your artistic abilities?

They didn't influence my abilities but they did encourage me. They are wonderful people and really just allowed me to tread my own path while always being there whenever I needed them. They are my heroes!

Why did you choose to study art?

I can't remember having a burning ambition to study art - I never looked at it as a viable option. After school I enrolled in an education degree at University however I decided to defer my studies for a year. It was during that year that I decided to study art and in the following year I was accepted into a visual arts degree. I didn't last long however - only about 2 months. Looking back, I was too immature to persevere and my fear of public speaking held me back. In the ensuing 16 years I worked while dabbling in art - taking classes here and there. It was not  until my son was born in 1996 that I started to take my art seriously. I started doing portraits of him and progressed to starting a small business doing portraits for other people. I also found time to start oil painting - before this I had painted maybe 3 or 4 paintings so it was a steep learning curve but I loved it.

Did you have professors that you would say had some influence on you?

I wasn't at University long enough for any professor to have an influence on me!!!

Could you tell us how you approached starting a career as an artist?

I started doing portraits and I advertised in a magazine aimed at parents. When I didn't have a commission I would paint and I was soon entering paintings in local competitions. I started to sell some paintings and get a little bit of attention but it was the advent of the internet which really allowed me to get my work out there. I was invited to participate in the 2003  Florence Biennale and it was then that I made a conscious decision to become an artist and I've been doing it ever since.

What inspires you the most?

Light on form is always my inspiration.

© Trisha Lambi

Please tell about your exhibitions.

Since 2003 I have exhibited locally in Brisbane and the surrounding areas as well as successful solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne. I've exhibited overseas in Italy, Germany. the USA, and China. While exhibiting in the Guangzhou International Art Fair in China, one of my pieces was selected by the GIAF Committee to represent Australia in all the marketing for the event. I've been a finalist in many prestigious competitions and have won prizes both here in Australia and overseas. I've also been included in a number of curated exhibitions, again, here in Australia and overseas.

What gallery currently represents you?

I am represented by Paddington Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Sydney, De Havilland Gallery in Wollongong, and Bella Art Gallery in Springfield Lakes.

Do you live only by selling paintings or do you also teach?

If I had to live on the sale of my paintings alone, I would not live too well!! As a rule, it pays for itself with some to spare but luckily we have my husband's income as well. As I am, effectively, a self taught artist, I'm not confident with the idea of teaching. My technique is not exactly orthodox!

What are your goals as an artist?

I want to keep painting until I'm very old - if I had to stop I know a part of me would die. Next to my family, it is everything to me.

© Trisha Lambi