From an early age I have been interested in the arts. In particular, I enjoyed drawing, and I would get involved in any art and craft activity. I didn't pursue art in my studies at school. However, I returned to it in my early 20s when I enrolled on a diploma course. I then completed a degree in art and design for costume, set and props. This involved figurative drawing, making costumes, creating embellishments, producing technical drawings, experimenting with colour, tones, textures and using a wide range of materials such as clay, wood and wire.

For some time, I worked for theatre companies in the UK and abroad mainly in costume departments and scenic painting. Later on I became a primary school teacher and was able to share my passion for art with children in the classroom and after school clubs.

In recent years, work and commitments had taken me away from art, but it was during the pandemic lockdowns that I found time to rekindle my enthusiasm for art and get back into practice. I decided to begin with sketching and found my inspiration in nature and animals. Once people had seen my work I began to receive commissions for pet portraits.

My earliest pieces were detailed pencil drawings. I like the way that lots of tones can be created from a simple medium. For the same reason, I also like working with ink, but with ink I experiment with lines and cross-hatching techniques to render. Exploring freer techniques I moved onto using chalk pastels and then paint. The aim of my portraits is to capture a good likeness and to create an attractive piece of artwork. Looking forward, I aim to bring together skills I have learnt in the past to create mixed media artwork and to continue to develop my styles.