Amber completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Ballarat in 1995, majoring in drawing.

I spent my childhood growing up in a small western district town where vast uninhabited spaces were the norm. Rush hour didn't apply. Spaces where you can breathe in the fresh air and listen to the sound of the birds and the trees swaying in the wind were a daily reality, tranquility was not a goal, it was all around you.

I remember this when I am sitting in the middle of a crowded city on a busy weekday morning, watching blank, tired, stressed faces on the way to work, to and from meetings, colliding frequently and desperate for enough space to walk through congested footpaths. I don't know any of these potential subjects passing by me yet as I sit and breathe in this madness the contrast between this and what I grew up with is compelling.

Within this desperate rush to gain financial freedom and striving for happiness the occasional blur of light and brilliant color, which gives hope to these noisy unknowns, grabs my attention and transports me back into the past. This is what I strive to paint.

• 2008 Finalist, Williamstown Art Prize, VIC
• 2008 Finalist, Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe QLD
• 2007 Winner People's choice award AGENDO 2007 for emerging artists, Melbourne, VIC

For more on Amber Baiguerra (Daly) see www.artasis.com.au