The natural world is the main inspiration for my work. With my husband, Bill, I have spent many years travelling to experience at first hand the landscapes and animals we love.
During the Covid lockdown, my work, like that of many other artists, underwent a change, and local landscapes became — and continue to be — a central focus. I spent hours on the beaches at Seasalter and Whitstable, watching the ever-changing skies and sea. The hills surrounding our studio and home near Faversham, Kent, UK, have also formed the backdrop to much of my work.
I feel happiest in these peaceful places, and if there is an animal or two to watch — from insect to elephant — then I am especially content.
Since taking my A level in art (many years ago) I am pretty much self taught although I have attended various courses run by people whose work I admire. I have also spent a lot of time drawing as I see good drawing (and observation) as an important basic building block for many other skills. Over the years, I have been a member of a several art societies (including Oxford Printmakers, Kent Potters and Surrey Sculpture Society) and all these things together mean I have put myself through a kind of art foundation course. These days on-line learning has become an important part of our education and this has been a great boon to me and others.
I have found that I don’t like to be constrained to one particular genre or media. I like to paint (in oil, watercolour and acrylics); I enjoy printmaking (lino prints, monoprinting, etching) and also enjoy sculpture and even handbuilding functional pottery. I have decided not to see this as a fault (in this world artists are encouraged to concentrate on a particuar style/media – particularly if they want to exhibit in galleries or be “seen” on social media) but to see it as part of learning who I am as an artist. I think it will be a life long quest! But these days I concentrate on 2D and I usually work “in series” to develop an idea before moving on to another subject and style. I often go back and deveop work which has been left for several years. I find with time I see things in a different way.
My work has been exhibited at the Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, and a variety of other Galleries around the country.