Steered away from art in High School towards “proper subjects”, I ended up a Psychology teacher, but art has been my lifelong companion and compulsion. I relate to the actor Timothy Spall talking about his art, “I beat myself up when I’m not doing it. Sometimes there are things you’ve got to get out”. Of the numerous art courses I’ve taken over the years, the most life- changing have been Nick Wilton’s CVP and the year long Porthmeor Programme, St Ives School of Painting.
Inspired by nature, my work celebrates our East Anglian skies, fields and coast patterns, the trees and plants in my garden. The annual cycle of solstices, seasons and moons and the history beneath our feet are also project sources.
I begin by collecting information to develop into sketches and collages. From here, I work towards a series finished pieces which are often very different to the start point. My paintings are mixed media: acrylic, watercolour, pastel and ink. I make my own collage papers with mono and Gelli plate printing. I enjoy making work that is multi-layered with glimpses through the top layers to reveal the history beneath.