About Me

In the studio painting a Still Life

From Bohemian roots, to Artistic Destiny

Born in a Studio, an escape to the City and my return to Art.
I grew up in an artistic community in Bromley Kent, United Kingdom. Mother was an artist and teacher and father an architect. We lived in a large old Victorian house, with two floors accommodating a drawing office, a large art studio, a pottery and a smaller studio, known as the Shortlands Studios.

 After school, I would often wander into the pottery and grab a lump of clay to make animals or plates, to be fired at the end of each week. On Saturday mornings, my brothers and I would join the other local children in art classes, while their parents went shopping. We had an artist in residence, Peter Midgley RCA, a tutor at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, whose studio was on the ground floor, a fascinating place for us children to explore.

With the constant comings and goings of artists, agents, students, galleries and framers, I went off to earn an ‘honest’ living in the City of London, only returning to art in about 1990. I began to sketch daily, and learned to use watercolours, for a number of years before venturing into acrylics and later, into oils. I became the Secretary of our local art society for six years and later, their Chairman for three years, which gave me experience in setting up and curating exhibitions. About this time, plans were afoot to construct the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate, and following some training, I was honoured by an appointment as their Cultural Ambassador.
In 2018 my work was chosen to represent England at the Fabriano in Italiano International watercolour exhibition and convention. Each year I hold a solo exhibition at York Street Gallery in Ramsgate, and I participate in many other UK exhibitions.

I am loving this journey to create paintings on location, from real life, in the impressionist manner, working out doors. The result is ‘honest paintings’ full of excitement and passion. I thus spend many hours outside, in muddy fields or boatyards, on riverbanks or beaches to observe the beauty that many others pass by, unnoticed, in their busy lives.
Buyers say my works bring daily joy to them and their families.
Would you like to join me on this journey? Who knows where it might lead? I’d love to have your company and feedback as we journey along. C
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Painting ‘en plein air’
My ‘plein air’ studio
Looking across the Bay

Customers reviews

What people say

“I bought a picture of Snowdonia for my husband for our 26th wedding anniversary. It is a really beautiful painting, evoking memories of our North Wales ‘home’. Just wonderful to look at now that we live in London. Thanks”                        Cathy – London

“Thank you so much for the beautiful painting. I chose it as a birthday present to go in our new house. Simply wonderful!”                                                                                                               Zayla