Profile
Photograph by John Fotiadis
"Aesthetic beauty refined in detail is the cornerstone of many interests in my life.
This fundamental element now shows itself in both my work as
an artist and interior designer."
RF
BEAUTY
I have been a professional in the skin care and make-up industry for 42 years. I offer traditional European skin care treatments combined with a contemporary approach to products to create personalised facial treatments for my clients. I also tailor skin care treatments for men considering these principals. This bespoke and individualised experience happens in my "By Appointment Only" home based Salon. Attention to detail is imperative when examining eyebrows; correcting and reshaping eyebrows are my forte. I offer this service during each facial treatment along with eyelash tinting and conditioning. All facial treatments performed include blackhead and milea extraction. I have also trained in Paris in make-up artistry and my experience is extensive, namely in bridal and editorial. Individual attention, privacy and my professionalism are the reason why my clients, return again and again.
ARTIST
My fascination for the detail in life possibly began during my employment as a trainee footman within New Zealand's Government House in the 1970s. While in service, I was introduced to finely hand-painted china and porcelain, arranged with aesthetic precision. My work as a make-up artist and beauty therapist over a 40 year period creating beautiful faces with fine detail and my art practice has been a seamless transition.
I am inherently artistic, evidenced by my subsequent and very successful career as a make-up artist and beauty therapist. In the late 1980s, I won the international CIDESCO Award for body art. I was at the forefront of the body art movement; essentially this is art on the human form in place of a canvas. Similarly, my paintings embody the form of the subject, proportion and perfection. Blending acrylic paint to complement or contrast colour, achieving highlights and harnessing reflected light coincide with my professional make-up skills. Working in acrylic allows me to be adventurous. I apply multiple layers of paint in order to build texture and tone of colour. I work with very thin brushes under a magnifying lamp to adhere to the fine details of the subject's original painted design.
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Whether working off the plan or on the reinvention of an existing space, functionality and practicality are important elements to consider in developing design concepts. Communication with my client is essential in order to establish; how do they live? What demands do they make on their home? Do they entertain and how? Are there pieces that hold sentimental attachment? If so, I weave them into the new interior to honour the nostalgia yet reinvent and bring new life to the home.
I create spaces that are multi-layered and full of surprises. For instance, on a recent project; a leather ottoman sits comfortably in the living room, yet on closer inspection it's covered in faux snakeskin vinyl which is both practical to clean and the perfect height for resting comfortably. Lifting the jewel box like lid of the ottoman reveals an unexpected bright aqua interior. It's no coincidence that aqua appears on another piece of upholstery in the room. This subtle blending of colour tones are peaceful and restful on the eye. On the wall, a lazar cut screen in powder coated steel suspends on industrial stainless steel rollers over an exquisite wallpaper. A touch of the finger slides the screen to reveal a television mounted into the wall. It is functionality concealed by beauty, a blending of bold pieces within a calm space.
My work ranges from interior styling; the addition of fabrics, wallpapers, shades, soft furnishings, the reinvention of existing furniture, to complete renovations and new builds. Many of the pieces in my interior projects are bespoke items I design individually in order to complete my vision or are a response to my client's needs. I work very "hands on" with master craftsmen to design pieces that fit perfectly into the space. Similarly, I have worked closely with Developers and Architects on several off the plan projects. From the initial changes I make off the plan, managing and documenting the project during construction, through to completion and move in.
An ecletic and considered use of materials and textures appears in all my interiors; heritage brick, polyurethane walls, velvet, linen, silk, cement, steel, glass, and mirror seamlessly "speak" to one another to create an experince of living in the space that is many things; beautifully tactile and visually surprising, luxuriously comfortable and effortlessly timeless.
