I was born and grew up in a petrochemical town in Lancashire, and later while raising a young family, I took a degree in literature, creative writing and linguistics at Sheffield Hallam University, followed by an MA in modern and contemporary writing at The University of Sheffield, and a Cert Ed. as a mature student.  So although I’d loved art at school, I was only able to take it further later in life, when I moved to Scotland twenty years ago, and attended Leith School of Art in Edinburgh. 

I now work from my studio in Galloway - mainly in oils and acrylic, with some printmaking - seeing the world through an increasingly abstract lens.

Much of my inspiration comes from the relationship between the natural world and industrial or man-made environments. I am particularly drawn to the beauty and grace of trees, the patience and wonder of them, and their life-giving essence. In fact, my first experience of grief was when as a very young child, my tree in the garden had to be felled.

I love silence, stillness, solitude. These make their way into my work when they can, although not as often as I would like. It’s an ongoing process.