100x80cm, framed in Raw Tasmanian Oak

That feeling when you reach the beach entrance, catch your first glimpse of the water and suddenly everything feels a little better. Stairway to Heaven captures the joy and anticipation of arriving at the ocean, with a striking palette of pink, purple and red transforming a familiar coastal landscape into something a little more dreamlike.

This was the first painting I created entirely on my own terms since deciding to pursue a career in painting. After completing two commissions, where the subject and direction had been shaped by someone else, I loved having the freedom to choose everything — the place, colours, size and feeling I wanted to capture.

I chose the entrance to my local beach, South Golden Beach, where the pandanus and coastal plants are familiar to anyone living along this stretch of coastline. The winding path leads you towards that first glimpse of the water.

For me, the beach is heaven — that place you go to feel grounded, happy and completely yourself.