- Born in Surrey in 1962, currently lives and works in Surrey.
- 1980 - 85 - trained as a classical pianist at the Royal College of Music, London.
- 1990 - 92 – Art Certificate Course at Putney School of Art and Design.
- Currently exhibits with The Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Claremont Gallery, Sevenoaks.
- Solo shows at Thirteen Langton Street (Bernard Chauchet) – 2005 and 2008.
- Exhibited extensively at the Mall Galleries, London with The Pastel Society,
The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and The Society of Women Artists. -
Awards:
- 2015 – The Buzzacott Award for Almost there and The Derwent Pastel Award for Summer Walk - both at the Look Again Pastel exhibition, Mall Galleries
- 2012 - John Longley Prize for Isleworth Ait in the Love Pastel exhibition, Mall Galleries.
Notable commissions and achievements:
- Several original paintings chosen for two Moroccan Royal Palaces.
- Artwork used for prints and original commissioned pieces for many hotels including Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados; Churchill Hotel, London and the Carlton Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge.
- Tuscan Landscape, published by the Art Group, which sold over 40,000 copies worldwide at IKEA.
- The first artist to be promoted by Ryan Air with a Winter Landscape watercolour printed on their airline tray tables.
Articles:
- The Luxurious Magazine – 2013
- The Acrylic Artist - 2015
- The Pastel Journal - 2015
- Practique des Arts - 2016
ARTIST STATEMENT
Over my years as an artist I have worked in a diverse range of styles and mediums and from many different subject matters - landscape, seascape, abstract, and cityscape. I travel whenever I can and constantly observe the world around me for inspiration - whether it is the the rugged coast of Cornwall or the unexpected beauty of a building site covered in scaffolding.
My working practice comes from a combination of physical observation - quick sketches done in situ or photographs, plus a more indirect and abstract approach at my studio.
Although I might be painting a particular place, my aim is not simply to record the view - but more the 'experience' of that place enhanced by degrees of abstraction and an emotive use of colour. Of equal importance to me are the tactility of the materials I use, the physical application and 'mark making' and the picture surface. In essence it is a two fold process – fusing the ‘what’ – (the subject) with the ‘how’ – (the method).
I work intuitively and often experimentally – using additions to paint such as collage, tissue, sand, silver and gold pigment - anything really to enrich the surface - as if I were trying to sculpt the image out of the canvas as well as paint it.
When sketching directly I work quickly with whatever materials are nearest to hand. The larger pieces are done in the studio on canvas or board. I love the richness of oil paint but also find the quick- drying quality of acrylic perfect for working fast and with limited planning. At times it is like the composition is revealing itself as I over-paint, revise, change, take a leap into the unknown – in an attempt to create something unique, meaningful and arresting.