PEMA HART
Pema Hart* was born (Pauline Code) in McLeod, Victoria, Australia, which
was rural back then and she enjoyed all the freedom of a "country
childhood": animals, the dying race of swagmen and the surroundings
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" (a dirt,
bumpy road some miles long), lived Ian
Bow who was most encouraging to the young girl in bare feet!
He taught her the use of coloured pencils, watercolour, various techniques
and told her to pursue a career in the field of art, while his wife Andrea
made her beautiful hats!
The family farm was situated close to the well known 'Montsalvat',
Eltham. When Pema was growing up there was a charming dirt road that led
from McLeod to Eltham which was dotted along the way by many artist's
houses in the area. Artists sold pottery and paintings from their
homes.
Pema’s art was first exhibited at school and then at community art
shows, where her early abilities 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 Advertising, Fashion and Copywriting 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.
Later Pema spent time living in and near to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries
in the Himalayas and it was during this time that she first took an interest
in Thanka painting - the beautiful, detailed Tibetan Buddhist artwork.
Pema only learnt sketching at this point, but is soon to pursue this further.
As is the case with many women, it has only been in her 'retirement' from
motherhood that she has been able to continue and pursue her artistic
career.
Watercolour, pencils, inks and pastels have
become her prime medium, after years of oil and acyrlic painting.
*The name Pema was a given Tibetan name (Dawa Pema meaning 'moon lotus)
and Hart is an old family name. Somewhere in the 1980s these two combined
and Pema used them for writing and painting.
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