When I was young, you would find me with a pencil in my hand searching for my next victim to pin down or studying the form, light and shadow on a pot plant. I have always been fascinated by the concept of capturing and creating a two dimensional image from a three dimensional object and the uniqueness of people and their pets has been a continuing fascination, particularly when it can bring pleasure and comfort.

I am a traditional, classically trained artist. I work in oils and occasionally in charcoal. I am passionate about my work and have been drawing and painting from an early age. When I was 8 or 9 I was obsessed with drawing animals. As I grew older I developed a keen interest in perspective, human anatomy and work by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. In my teens I would find various ways of pinning down family and friends for a drawing or painting session or seizing the opportunity of catching my father after he had nodded off. I continued to experiment with different processes at college locally and in Harrow.

With the aim of finding a ‘proper job’, my studies then took a change in tack and I trained and worked in the legal profession for a number of years, painting less frequently. Time to dedicate to painting was even more limited when I became a mother, but motherhood brought with it an entirely new level of love and appreciation for those close to me and for the beauty of Mother Nature.

My father was a keen garden designer and frequently brought my attention to the beauty of simplicity and to colour and form combinations.

“Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and its fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”

William Wordsworth

My experiences of loss have also heightened my appreciation for those around me and keeping the memory of loved ones close. It is comforting to see their faces each day and I hope that my paintings of lost loved ones will generate fond and happy memories where there was once an empty space.

Having managed to keep two small humans alive for what is now approaching 30 years and watching them grow into giant humans, I am now able to dedicate more time to my passion and my first love; art.

I don’t think we ever stop learning and I continue to find the journey as fascinating as ever. Each day offers something new and beautiful to appreciate and I find that each subject/painting brings something new to the table and presents different challenges and pleasures.

I am very lucky to live in Christchurch, a beautiful town on the south coast within a stone’s throw of the beach and on the outskirts of the New Forest. My studio is nestled within a nature reserve alongside a winding river which makes its’ way to the sea at varying rates of flow. All of these provide wonderful inspiration for landscape painting, seascapes and creativity and the changing seasons add another dimension to these wonderful surroundings.

Whilst enjoying the beauty of my local area, people and their pets remain firm interests of mine and when I paint them, my objective is to capture a combination of their likeness and the essence of their character that will bring pleasure and fond memories in the form of something unique. My preferred medium for this is oils. I find this provides flexibility and the opportunity to paint ‘alla prima’ (in one sitting) or in layers. It often use a fairly limited palette and focus on realism, form and light, adjusting my brushstrokes to suit the subject.

Please scroll through the pages that follow to find out more about my work. If you would like to commission a painting of a loved one or a custom pet portrait please feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have.