Drawing, painting and creating have always been a large part of my life, painting being particularly important to me. I am largely self-taught with my style and the material I use having evolved over the years. During the first lockdown of 2020 I found myself falling in love with the unpredictability of watercolour. A year later I gave up my job as a mental health occupational therapist and began painting full time. I soon began teaching two classes a week, this adds an extra dimension to the way I think about my work.
My inspirations come from a variety of sources; firstly architecture, specifically vernacular domestic architecture, which I like to portray in line and wash, I am constantly fascinated by decay, dereliction and the way in which mother nature reclaims any neglected manmade environment. In complete contrast, another inspiration is the natural landscape, which I prefer to depict in a loose, semi-abstract style. These too contrasting styles satisfy both my need for detail and also my need for freedom. Over the past year I have become fascinated with the everyday objects we take for granted and enjoy making them the focus. This spring one of these paintings was selected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour Annual Exhibition where I was presented with one of the awards.
A large part of my work is commission based, almost exclusively portrayals of buildings. I enjoy the challenge that a large variety of contrasting architectural styles gives me, from small local authority houses to 17th Century thatched cottages to large country houses and churches. Each has their own peculiarities
I hope that you enjoy my work.