In her final year at school Margaret studied art but it wasn’t until the 80s that she started oil painting, mostly landscapes and some flowers. Her lasting memory of her grandmother’s garden, where, as a small child she was allowed to pick some of the blooms, was inspiration for some works.

Margaret went to the Blue Mountains in 2009 for her first Botanical Art experience with Jenny Phillips, the well-known botanical artist from Melbourne. As a beginner she could not believe it took three days to paint a tulip. Here she met Nilivan Adams who encouraged her to join the Botanic Art Group at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.

In 2010 Margaret joined Maria Boreham’s classes which gave her the skills used today. She has attended workshops with Leonie Norton, Halina Steele, Dianne Emery, Stephanie Goss, and Tanya Hoolihan, Susannah Blaxill, David Reynolds and Linda Lunnon. Margaret first exhibited in the Botanic Art Group’s exhibition of 2011and has exhibited successfully each year since. In 2014 two of her works were purchased by the Friends of the Gardens and displayed at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

She uses and practices some mixed media skills of inks, collage, encaustic and acrylics as well as watercolours and coloured pencils. She believes that art is a continual learning process.