Venables has a diploma in fine arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a ceramics studio at the Harlow School of Art in London and. She is currently a member of the International Ceramic Society. She has worked as a resident artist in Jingdezhen, Melbourne and other places in China, and has won awards such as the Australian Council's Skills and Art Development Award and the Australian Council Development Grant. Venables has held more than 20 solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Australia, New York, and London. His works have been widely collected in galleries, art galleries and universities around the world.