I work from my garden studio in Lincoln, a colourful, creative, sanctuary

My work is about landscape, memories and freedom.  For me painting is a playful, immersive experience. I love the possibilities of what might happen, creating a painting layer by layer. Always searching for that vital energy created as colour, marks and texture combine.

I’ve been making art for a long time but only painting seriously since 2019 after a brush with breast cancer shook me up and set me on a different path. Having previously studied textile design and worked in fabric and stitch, painting offered the freedom of expression and escapism I was looking for.

All of my work has a basis in the landscape I spend time in. When I’m outside on a walk I slow down. I notice what’s around me. The sense of awe derived from being in nature is powerful.

I collect photos on my phone of walks at home and on holiday, they act as reminders, the experience of being in a landscape, the sights, sounds and even the feel of the weather. They also help me to focus on the present moment, even on a grey miserable day I’m looking for the tiny beautiful thing, the joy in the everyday.

I print my photos and have them surround me in the studio, often starting to explore ideas on paper or sketchbooks, working quite loosely and always looking for the thing that stands out, the marks I am enjoying, the mix of colours that create a reaction and then trying to do more of that!

I don’t plan my work, it develops through play and experimentation - I really enjoy the possibility of painting, the potential of what could happen is exciting.

This meditative start mixed with energetic, expressive studio sessions brings paintings that are uplifting and soothing, with a sense of energy from the landscape that pulls you in.