Artist Statement

I grew up on a farm in the North East of England and this is where I developed my interest in art from an early age. In 1990 I went to the University of Nottingham to study Pharmacy, and I spent the next 15 years involved in the sciences but my passion for the arts never went away. Finally in 2005 I came back to my artistic roots when I enrolled on a Foundation course in Art and Design. This gave me the opportunity to enhance my artistic skills and techniques and develop my creative practice. Since then I have been mostly self-taught and I have explored a variety of media, such as watercolour, textiles and stitch, print, drawing and mixed media. I am constantly learning and feel that as an artist you should never stand still for too long, life is too short and there are too many ideas to explore.

I love nature, and am constantly stimulated and inspired by the landscape and the natural world, the changing colours and textures of the seasons. Being outdoors in the open spaces of the countryside or in my cottage garden motivates me with my art. In contrast I am also inspired by home life, and, living in a 200 year old cottage filled with plenty of vintage finds, I find a wealth of material to spark my creativity within my four walls. I love the comfort and sentimentality of home and family, and being somewhere you feel settled and at peace and I think this is reflected in my work. I love nothing more than curling up on the sofa, in front of a roaring fire, with a piece of cake, cup of tea and a good book. I also love my kitchen, and find it an inspirational place to be, old pots and pans, coffee and tea pots, herbs and spices and a rack of old cook books, perfect for new ideas.

I would describe my work as 'down to earth' and unpretentious, I simply draw the things I like, things I love and things that move me. My work is very subjective and fluid, I let my mood, feeling and current interests dictate what I do. It may be watercolours and stitch one day, and intricate ink illustrations the next.

I carry a sketchbook most places so I am always looking for new ideas in the places I visit and sights that I see, who knows what is round the next corner.