Dancing Isis Dance !

Maria has over 20 years experience as an artist's model. She began her career at 19 in regional Victoria and has worked in Australia and Italy. In Melbourne she is held in high regard as a versatile and inspiring model working both nude and in costume. Maria specialises in movement by incorporating her skill in Egyptian dance and her understanding of centre and stillness in movement

Maria has danced her way through many a life drawing session. Her repertoire for artists and students has inspired many to push past their boundaries and free their hand eye coordination to create the unexpected - a great right brain experience

Maria was a founding member of the Victorian Life Models Society. The LMS were featured on SBS TV in 1992 on the Arts Review program. In 1995 she was featured on Imagine, another SBS Arts program, as a specialised dancer for the artist.


Maria's friend and colleague, Matcham Skipper, was also featured with her on 'Imagine'. Matcham said: "Well look at the beautiful Maria. She's got everything. She's got texture, form, softness, she's even got a soul under that body and a personality. There is so much that can be expressed from the human figure".

Luis Bayonas used Maria as his primary model for his paintings in his exhibition titled 'The Gate', showing at the Bathurst Regional Gallery in August 2002. Luis has this to say about Maria: I like drawiing Maria because she never stops being Maria. There's not the usual stiffness of some models when they strike the pose. She's all there, and that makes the drawing flow and tell a story, instead of being a study, or an exercise."