I am an artist living and working in inner city Melbourne.

I began my art education at R.M.I.T University in 1992 where I completed a double major in Painting and Printmaking where I graduated with Distinction.

I have been making art most of my life, But my venture into the world of paint began when I was 15 and my love of Art was ignited searching through my mother's art books. Here my interest in German and Abstract Expressionism began and so did my search formy own voice.

My early explorations of abstract expressionism helped me gain control oil paint as a medium. Using transparent layers to achieve depth and subtleties exploring colour relationships.

My love of life drawing continued to grow and I have recently begun to merge the two worlds embarking on a more figurative style.

I feel inspired by the complexities of human relationships and behaviours which is why I find portraiture so fascinating. Especially when the artist manages to convey distinctive personal style in the work or communicate ideas using visual or symbolic metaphors.

I am inspired by the landscape and world around me and try to embrace the intuitive direction in which my new ideas and experiments lead me.

Lee Ayton