My enthusiasm for art and the outdoors has been lifelong.
After gaining an honours degree in fine art at Sheffield College of Art & Design, I spent 2½ years travelling around the world, which included work as an art teacher in Australia. The following 30 years were spent as an art educator in the UK, and I now work full time as a professional artist from a studio in my home.
Vibrant hues, richness of tone and rhythmic composition are hall marks of my light-filled paintings which set out to capture the spirit and atmosphere of the Derbyshire landscape. My aim is to evoke the poetry of light in all seasons and active skies are a feature of the work.
When not in the studio, a good deal of time is spent out on the hills, sketching, photographing, observing and absorbing the light, colour, mood and rhythm of patterns in the landscape.
The versatility of pastel is superbly adapted to the expression of light and colour. Wash-like transparency, opaque impasto, subtle textures, vibrant colour and atmospheric tones are characteristic of the work. I enjoy finding new ways of expressing the visual qualities I want in my paintings and seeking expressive images which will resonate with the viewer. I work in a diversity of styles and images range from the naturalistic to the contemporary. The Peak District and in particular the Dark Peak has provided a lifelong stimulus for creativity and inspiration in my work.
I have exhibited at many high profile art fairs around the country – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Harrogate, Cheshire, North Wales, Windsor, Reading.... My work has been awarded a number of prizes over the years and is represented in both public and private collections both here and abroad.
I am an active member of Peak District Artisans - "An association of some of the very best professional fine artists, designer makers and contemporary artisans in and around the Derbyshire Peak District". Peak District Artisans showcase a number of very popular Fine Art and Designer Craft fairs around the region each year - see Events page for details. Alternatively visitors are always welcome to visit my home and studio where there are often as many as 100 paintings on view.