West Germany. Rebuilding their life there meant that they both had to work and then Christine relates, "a few years later, I got married, started a family and -  eventually came to Australia!"

Once here, Christine finally had the chance again to indulge in her love of art and enrolled in a pottery class and then later on taking an oil painting course. Originally she intended only to be here for three years and says laughing, "as it turns out, that three years became forever! I re-entered the work force, went to University to study something 'serious', found a job and proceeded to climb the corporate ladder." Yet her love and appreciation of the arts never really abated and Christine frequently used it as a way to alleviate stress.

Upon retiring in 2000, she decided that it was the perfect time to challenge herself and learn watercolour. She signed up for a class with Michele Retschlag and now enjoys painting up to 40 hours a week. "I have attended workshops by a few other teachers too," she adds. "I was always very much encouraged to 'do my own thing' and ignore some of the lessons of the English school of watercolour, which dictates a much softer approach. Instead I decided to go big, bright and bold - more in line with what some the modern European watercolourists were doing."

Christine keeps her paints and brushes on a trolley that can be wheeled around the house to wherever she is feels comfortable painting that day. But she also has a studio where she

54  Artist's Palette

Copy of Artist's Palette Magazine No.33 articles by Justyna Lupa and Christine Groh.

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