This Is Me

I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always asking, “When can I paint?” or “Can I help you bake?” Anything creative, I wanted to be part of. I’ve never been much of a drawer (and still aren’t!), but I’ve always loved colour. The bolder and brighter, the better, and that hasn’t changed.

My creative journey has taken a few unexpected turns. I qualified as a hairdresser in 1983, before moving into the world of food, competing in BBC MasterChef and reaching the final. I went on to build a successful catering business, including my own café and bistro, Prickly Pear. But throughout it all, there was always a painting on my easel and another canvas waiting.

I’m a self-taught mixed-media artist, working with acrylics, collage, old photographs, book pages and unexpected materials such as silk, tartan and denim. I don’t believe in sticking to one style. I like to experiment, take risks and push myself beyond my comfort zone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s all part of the process.

Colour, shape and texture are at the heart of my work. Although I’m not a literal artist, I also enjoy creating personal paintings that combine meaningful places, people and memories with my own abstract style.

No two days in my studio are the same. I might be working on a personal commission, a large corporate painting or something completely unexpected. My inspiration comes from life itself, its unpredictability, its possibilities and the excitement of not always knowing what’s coming next.

I trust the process, take a few chances and let the work lead the way. And I have a little faith in the Universe, too. So far, it hasn’t let me down.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained!