I was born and brought up in Kent, on a farm at the foot of the North Downs surrounded by nature. My father was a teacher and my mother painted and sculpted in a variety of media, she also taught fine art. I have been familiar with the smell of turps and the hazards of wet canvasses from a very early age.

I was encouraged throughout my childhood to paint, draw and sculpt. At the age of 12 I was summoned before the headmistress to explain why my maths book was covered in blue ink sketches of faces – mainly bearded youths! This served as no deterrent, merely encouragement.

After studying fine art at ‘A’ Level I continued with painting, drawing and sculpture as a hobby for many years, sometimes as part of a group or class whilst bringing up two children and pursuing a career in nursing. Moving north in 1989 to live in the Calder Valley and then Leeds in 1997 where the contrasts of hills, mills and moorlands of the Pennines, and the parkland walks and Victorian reservoirs and canals of the Leeds area to that of the rolling hills and flat marshes of my childhood continue to fire my imagination.

Some years ago two closely occurring incidents concentrated my mind onto serious painting:  I acquired a full size easel at a local auction and my brother emailed me a painting he had completed reawakening the affectionate lifelong sibling rivalry (and encouragement) we enjoy between us.

I now have a studio with a collection of easels and an increasing body of work, some of which can be seen on my website or on my artist Facebook page.

I have exhibited in Todmorden, Leeds, North Yorkshire and as part of a joint family exhibition in Kent. I also exhibit twice a year at the Horsforth Art Society as a member and during the Horsforth Walk of Art each year and  as a member of Adel Artists in Adel. I have also run workshops locally and on-line.

I have also undertaken private commissions of both portraits and landscapes including personal historical representations from the past.

I am inspired by the Impressionists and like to capture and suggest to the viewer the scene I have experienced, oil paint being my preference, using both brushes and palette knives.

I have created my virtual gallery featuring paintings done during the lockdown. I am now looking to create a cloned gallery for on-line viewing scanned from a real space.

I love how light influences the way we see the natural world and it inspires me to capture it on canvas – whether it is a portrait, still life or landscape.