Pema Pauline Hart was born Pauline Code, in the Eltham area of Victoria, Australia. It was rural then and she enjoyed all the freedom of a "country childhood" - animals of all sorts, the dying race of swagmen, going 'yabbying', riding a horse bareback, rarely wearing shoes, and the influence of many artists in the famous Eltham area.
She could paint, sketch and sculpt before starting school and had a natural talent for figure drawing and elaborate patterning in an 'eastern' style. 

There were very few houses, but "just down the road", lived Ian Bow who was most encouraging to the young Pema's keen and eager talent. He taught her the use of coloured pencils, watercolour, oils and various other techniques and told her to pursue a career in the field of art. His wife Andrea made her beautiful hats!


The family farm was situated near the well known "Montsalvat" area of Eltham. When Pema was growing up there was a charming dirt road that led to Eltham which was dotted along the way by many artist's houses in the area.  Artists sold pottery and paintings from their homes and times were relaxed, and artists unpretentious.

Pema’s art was first exhibited at school and then at community art shows, where her young abilities quickly won recognition.  She began selling her work at the age of twelve years, including commissioned murals that were painted on large garage doors during the early 1960s!  Throughout her education she excelled in the field of fine art.


Career 

Pema entered a career in Design and Advertising at a young age, working firstly for Graphic Designer Les Mason in South Melbourne and then moving on to become a Fashion Co-ordinator and later returning to Advertising.  Her love for 'pure painting' could not be quashed and she left the 'advertising industry' in her early 30s to paint and become a counsellor, later going on to become a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism - as taught to her personally by her beloved teacher, Lama Thubten Yeshe in Kopan Monastery, Nepal.

Pema made several trips to the East, living in monasteries and with the Tibetan people in Dharmsala, in the Himalayas in Northern India. This reflects in her work in the people, the surroundings and the overall "magical, mystical" feel about it.

This is what appeals to so many people, as Pema paints directly from the heart. Not from what she sees in the physical world, but what emerges from her heart through her paintbrush onto the paper or canvas. Her attention to detail and patternistic style make her work unique.

However, as is the case with many women, it has only been since her children reached adulthood that Pema has been able to continue and pursue her artistic career in a serious way. Although hampered a little by some illnesses, she gets up at first light and begins painting, not wanting to miss any daylight time. Her works require patience, which she seems have an abundance of, as she paints so many paintings in a week.

Although Pema has worked with some of "the greats" in the art world, she has never taken any lessons from anyone as she was born with her own style and is content with it, not wanting to change this.
 
Watercolour, pastels and inks have become her choice, after years of oil and acyrlic painting, although she is now doing a few acrylics once more.