I have been creating animal portraits and botanical studies for over twelve years, having rekindled a natural yet dormant talent after a long period of just carrying on with life in general.

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My parents and grandparents were particularly creative and they encouraged me from an early age to draw, paint and make things.  At school I found art and design classes more than just enjoyable and I tend to look for creative opportunities in my adult life - if there's a more arty-crafty option you'll likely find me right in the middle of it.

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I have always been a micro-view sort of person, preferring fine-detailed nature studies rather than vast landscapes of rolling hills, seascapes or architecture.  I am always taking photographs of things I want to draw: flowers, zoo animals, bugs, plants, and even close-up images of eyeballs, feathers, fungi and leaves, so I can recreate the detail back in the studio.
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Some years ago I was commissioned by a friend to create a piece of artwork for her, partly to encourage me to use my skills.  This led to me producing numerous pet portraits for friends and colleagues of their beloved cats and dogs.  More recently, I have been refining my technical skills through formal art classes in Devon, learning from other professionals and expanding my repertoire of media.  I am a member of the Association of Animal Artists, the UK Coloured Pencil Society, he Society for All Artists, and Exmouth Art Group and participate in a range of competitions.  I also give art demos to local art groups on pastel and pencil techniques.

I was awarded the Channel Cup for my pastel piece "Waiting for You" at the Exmouth Art Group's 75th Annual Exhibition 2021, as voted for by the public.  I was shortlisted in a national competition supporting awareness of the Asiatic Cheetah's critical decline in numbers and exhibited my piece in a special exhibtion about the cheetah in London in 2022.

 

My art studio occupies the converted garage at home and is a comfortable and inspiring workspace in which to create freely, surrounded by other works of art and a wide range of art materials.

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'Beyond Extinction' - shortlisted in 'Cheetah - The Movie' competition