InkRoom

Kim Michelle toft

Kim Michelle Toft is a gifted artist who exhibits her paintings in Australia as well as overseas. Kim worked as a school teacher for five years, but she really loved drawing, and finally decided to be an artist full-time. She started working with a lady who was painting on silk to produce unique clothes and was impressed with the incredible range of colours you could achieve on silk.

Kim loves the beaches of Australia and the incredible marine life hidden in the sea. She started creating huge underwater paintings in silk – and people loved her work. In 1997 her first children’s book, One Less Fish, was published. All her books and paintings highlight the importance of conserving our oceans and the coastal habitats which support them.

One of Kim’s favourite books is The World That We Want and looks at the fragile balance in nature and in particular the coastal habitats of far north Queensland. It took three years to complete and some of the illustrations took three months to paint! One is 4.5 metres long and 1.2 metres wide. You need 30 metres of wall space to exhibit all these incredible illustrations.

Kim’s paintings use vibrant colours and the quality of her artwork is superb. Her books have won many awards and have been extremely popular with young and old alike. Her latest book is Tick-Tock Tick-Tock What's Up Croc? which will be released in February 2009.

Kim says “My advice to anyone who wants to become a success through artistic pursuits is to keep true to your dreams. DO IT, don't just say it; don't worry about what other people think or do, and just enjoy the journey toward the world that you want."

If you want to see some of Kim’s amazing illustrations go to www.kimtoft.com.au