Born in Coventry in 1962, I settled in Carmarthenshire where I studied Wildlife Illustration. I worked freelance for a number of years before getting a BA Hons followed by an MA. I am now Programme Leader on Access to Art and Design at Carmarthen School of Art whilst continuing to paint and exhibit.
My latest body of work focuses on the visual language of trees and hedgerows and how they fit into the agricultural landscape. I always paint on panel because I like to pay close attention to surface detail, overpainting with delicate oil glazes to achieve depth. I also ‘work back’ with imprints and marks to give expression paying close attention to the finished surface of the paintings, which often have a burnished effect. These surfaces also show signs of manipulation with details scratched into the panel. Working en plein air is an essential element of my process, supporting and augmenting work produced in the studio. I am also drawn to still life and abstraction with a modernist feel, which is a legacy of my upbringing in post-war Coventry.
