I like to paint people, animals and stories. Sometimes the stories are true and sometimes they are a figment of my imagination or it can be a story that the viewer makes up also. Often people find themselves or their family or their animals in my paintings. I really like that.

Our animals are so important to us. They make us feel really good and happy. When animals die, it takes so long to get over their demise. A couple of years ago our dog, who was a staffie/bully cross called Little Dog, left us because he was very sick. We had him for eleven years and he was great.

Now we have Daisy and she has problems. She doesn't like children. Actually she only likes a few people in our family. I have painted Daisy but never Little Dog. The exhibition is called 'Dats and dogs' as years ago when I was a little girl and my cousin Glennys who had a speech impediment was visiting our home she said 'me like dats and dogs too'.

Glennys was one of my Father's favourite nieces and so for years my Father would say every now and then when he saw a cat or dog, 'me like dats and dogs too'. I still say it and then I think of Glennys.

So this exhibition is sort of dedicated to Glenn who was lovely but married a man call 'Tiger' who was a rotter but that is another story.

Robyn Baker

Dats and Dogs

Vivo Gallery, Palm Cove.

October 2013