I’ve been drawing and painting ever since I can remember, but my personal experience of art at school was uninspiring and discouraging. Despite this, as an adult I continued to draw occasionally and eventually, after meeting Linda Crook who founded Redder Splash!, I joined the group at its second meeting – and never looked back! For me the group was my art college, I learnt so much there and it gave me the confidence to get my art out there via our annual exhibitions.
When I moved to Lyme Regis from London in the early 90’s, I was determined to get out and paint as much as possible. I find the beauty of the surrounding countryside and coast a constant source of inspiration in all seasons and all weathers. Although I’m now firmly rooted here, I love travelling too, and always take my sketchbook with me wherever I go, so that I usually return with a few ideas to work up into a painting.
For a number of years I worked mostly in soft pastel, a medium I still enjoy for its directness, the purity of its colours and its ability to cover a large area quickly. In the late ‘80s I also started stone-carving and completed a number of small pieces, but I found the medium a difficult one to work in for long periods. At that time I also completed a number of black and white lino prints. However, for the last 20 years I have worked in water-based media more than any other.
My current aim is to move towards a more abstract style, but whatever the style, I find colour, texture and light in the landscape are what really inspire me, and painting, in any medium, is still my first love.
As a member of ‘Redder Splash!’, I exhibited regularly in a number of galleries throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, including the South London Art Gallery and the Cafe Gallery in Southwark Park.
In July 2007 I had a solo exhibition at the Axminster Arts Cafe.
Every year since 2007, to its final show in 2016, I had work in the Lyme Regis ArtsFest.
From November 2011 to 2012 I had three stone carvings on permanent display at The Gallery, Hi Ho Silver, Honiton.
More recently I have had work in a number of group exhibitions at the Town Mill & the Malthouse in Lyme Regis.
My work is currently on permanent display at Lucy Campbell Jewellery, Miller’s Parlour, The Town Mill, Mill Lane, Lyme Regis, DT7 3PU.
I also have work in private collections, both in the UK and abroad.
