Me
I am an optimist and like to think I’m living my life to the full. I live near Ashburton in Devon where, since 2017, I have been working as an artist, creating joyful, fun art and absolutely loving the experience.
I can remember finger painting at my pre-school and loving the feel of cool paint on my fingers and palms. Unfortunately, I had bad art teachers at school who dented my confidence and squashed my creativity. Having an education totally lacking in creativity, I trotted along the academic road which led to studying English Literature at Oxford University, followed by an M.A at Kings College, London. I worked in journalism and publishing in London, where I met my husband. We moved down to the Westcountry, had three children and eventually I trained to be an English teacher and worked in a large secondary school here in Devon.
All the while, whenever I had a moment, I was creating. I learnt to knit, to crochet, to wet and dry felt. I made baskets, jumpers, blankets, dolls, soft toys, cushions, bunting, hot water bottle covers, fairies. I was always making something.
And then, in 2016, I hit a wall in teaching. Burnt out and disillusioned, I gave in my notice and to calm my shredded nerves I started to paint. I had been to life drawing classes through the years, including, when I was 19, three months at the Cecil Graves Art School in Florence, but I hadn’t painted since I was a child. I opened a box of watercolours and found the colours zoomed straight out of it, brightening the soggy grey gloom of that winter. And I was off. I studied intuitive painting with the American artist Flora Bowley, which introduced me to the bright, fast, forgiving world of acrylic paint.
I added in mixed media, staying loose and free, adding in papers, oil pastels, ink and crayon. Gradually I realised that what I wanted to create were characters, to capture a moment of joy or contemplation, and to produce art that uplifted.
I exhibited my work for the first time in 2017 and was encouraged by the response. Since then, my work has been used as a Rattle Poetry Anthology book cover and been in Devon Life.
In 2018 I was selected to be one of The Eco-Friendly Card Company artists, so you can now find my work in card shops nationwide. In 2020 I created a range of ‘positive postcards’, some of which were commissioned by headteachers of schools to send encouraging messages to all their students during the Covid pandemic. I am often asked to do heart-warming commissions, including wedding presents and recently, a special picture for a poorly teenager. My work sells internationally, and nothing brings me more joy than seeing someone look at my art and begin to smile. It is marvellous to know that creating art, which brings me so much joy, gives customers joy too.
Exhibitions:
Devon Open Studios: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
The Flavel, Dartmouth 2018
Bath Art Fair 2022