About me
I paint semi abstract landscapes inspired by wild places, including the beautiful Cornish coastline where I am lucky enough to live.
I walk every day with my dog, frequently on the beaches and coast path, (and even been known to get up close and personal with rockpools by cold water dipping.) Sometimes I sketch, but more often I take many many photos of the little details that catch my eye. It is not just big spaces of ocean and sky that I connect with but patterns made in the sand by the withdrawing tide, or the folds and crevices within a rock or pebble. Being in nature brings me into the present whether that is battling against a strong wind on a headland or basking in the sun in a sheltered cove. It is these feelings of freedom, serenity and aliveness I wish to convey in my paintings. It is an on ongoing journey of discovery.
My approach
I use the photos and sketches to gather my ideas but rarely refer to them while I am painting. Instead I paint intuitively. I use acrylics and mixed media, sometimes including collage and many different tools to make a wide variety of marks. The painting is created layer by layer, playing with colour and mark making, contrasting transparent glazes with textured thick paint, and sometimes sanding and scratching back to reveal hidden treasures underneath. Something eventually appears that calls to be highlighted. I have always painted and created things over the years but it was discovering this intuitive approach to art that has been the key to unlocking my creative drive.
For over 20 years I have worked as a Kinesiologist, a complementary therapy that has its roots in acupuncture and chiropractic practice, and in which I am frequently guided by my intuition. More recently I have been exploring ways of combining the many energy techniques I have learnt from this career with my painting, using them as a vehicle for placing positive energy into my work. I have found this to be really helpful for my practice, as well as commissions. This enables me to offer something unique, that can be a very powerful.
