Born in Guildford and growing up in Surrey and Hampshire, I studied Art at what was then known as the West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farnham, where I specialised in graphics and typography.
Initially I had a career in the visual sector and worked as a stylist.
After my boys were born, I took some time out for myself and started to paint again.
An experimental piece attracted a lot of interest and quickly sold, bringing with it lots of commissions and interest from galleries.
From my studio in Upper Farringdon, I work mainly in acrylic, applying thick layers with cards, fingers and occasionally a brush.
I am inspired daily by the beautiful local countryside where I run with my dog, but my love of colours and use of space on the canvas is what excites me the most about painting.
I get real pleasure in the details of the composition and the finishing touches which make a picture work. The buzz created by two or more colours working alongside each other can really make the work sing. At the beginning of each piece, my goal is to make the painting come alive, using colours that bring my energy on to the canvas.
I don’t paint using a particular brush, or trained technique, I just use what is around me to put all of my energy on to the canvas. I am not scared of making mistakes, and the benefit of acrylics is that I can layer the paint as much as I need to until I get the feeling in my belly that the piece is complete.
When planning a composition, I view the world as series of shapes inter-connecting with each other. Fields become a group of misshapen triangles or parallelograms and the trees provide a wonderful vertical series of lines breaking through them. There is so much more to our countryside than green fields, and there is always room for some disco pink!
Each painting has it’s own story and the colours are a reflection on my mood, the seasons, the music I am listening to, and if a commission, the person I am painting it for.
I am always looking for new directions but I do love painting trees…
