"MUCH TRAVEL IS NEEDED
BEFORE THE RAW MAN
IS RIPENED"
Idries Shah, Caravan of Dreams
ART, TRAVEL and WRITING
A Life Lived on the Road Less Traveled
As a lifelong traveler, I have always sought the exhilarating challenge of adapting to new cultures. But I am at my happiest when I can share that spark with others.
My journey began with a ten-week trip to India that turned into a year. It set a lifelong benchmark: the thrill of heading off without a guidebook to see what might happen. That philosophy has led me from teaching in Kathmandu and sailing the Maldives in a traditional dhow to building a grass-roofed sanctuary, Villa Nilaya, in the quiet hills of East Bali.
From Medical Science to Early Sienese Art
My path has rarely been linear. I spent years as a medical technologist, always hoping my skills would take me back to the Himalayas as a volunteer. However, a growing obsession with art history eventually won out over "sensible behavior."
I traded the laboratory for a year at the British Institute in Florence, followed by two years at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Under the guidance of Dr. Joanna Cannon, I specialized in Early Sienese Art—a pivot that set me on a permanent path of "art, art, art."
After years in London’s publishing world and a stint teaching in Portugal, I returned to Australia to immerse myself in the world of artists. For 17 years, I ran a commercial art gallery in Perth, representing emerging and established talent with a particular focus on Australian Indigenous art.
The Birth of Creative Living Retreats
My passion for the "hidden gems" of the world eventually evolved into Creative Living Retreats. What began 15 years ago in Bali as a series of painting and yoga holidays has blossomed into an international program.
Whether it was finding 18th-century hand-printing blocks in a loft near Jaipur or navigating the public insurrections of Sri Lanka during the pandemic, every challenge has shaped the way I curate experiences for others. Today, my retreats have expanded from Bali to include:
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The labyrinthine souks of Morocco
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The timeless light of Hydra, Greece
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The historic canals of Venice
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The coastal beauty of Portugal
The Invitation
Today, my retreats go beyond art-making. They are deep dives into creative writing, memoir, and literary history—merging the landscape with the desire for self-expression.
I research and curate each season with one goal: to bring you closer to your own creative voice through the same exhilaration I felt on that first boat to India.
Creative Living Retreats began in Bali. They are painting and meditation/yoga holidays held for a week at Villa Nilaya, a grass-roofed villa I built in 2010 in beautiful East Bali.
These have developed into an annual series with new teachers each year
My resolution this year is 'Do more writing' ... it's been too long since I've written about my journeys , but here is some of my travel writing
.