My Journey

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.

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.