As a child, I was intrigued by Leonard da Vinci’s drawings, and later by Constable’s tree sketches. I’m influenced by Modern Scottish Colourists, owing to my grandmother living in the Borders. I have sketched and painted all my life, with my paintings featuring trees, rocks, ruins and reflections in water with the emphasis on colour, light and composition. Using layers of paint and glazing plus a variety of media, the paintings capture the tension between intimacy of detail and the broad sweep of landscape and sky. My enjoyment in the process of painting, often combined with a difficult struggle to express my response to the subject, results in a rich tapestry of colour and texture. I aim for the viewer to be able to sense the underlying passion, joy and vitality. Recently I have been working on illustrations from traditional myths & stories, and have in the past produced designs for home-accessories based on nursery rhymes. Paintings have been shown at a number of galleries including Melbourne & Hobart, Australia, The Mall, BSA, RWA, Southampton Art Gallery, Presteign, Broadway, First View Gallery, Bruton Art Works, Ace Arts and the Black Swan Arts Centre, Frome. I am a member of Artists 303, currently the Events co-ordinator for the Frome Open Art Trail 2020, now Virtual. I have run short courses through Frome Community Education and Trowbridge Town Hall Arts and also run workshops and do art demonstrations.