A little bit about me
I live in the lovely green Kent countryside with my family.
When not in my studio, I love walking in nature, cooking, yoga, art & spending time with my family.
A place very close to my heart is Sicily where my husband is from - I love its wild raw beauty, its passionate & vivacious people, the turquoise waters & it’s foooood!
Early Life and Education
I have been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. At a very young age I developed an interest in nature and colour - landscapes and wildlife, sunlight and water reflections, using different media and styles as I was searching for my own. I love to experiment with colours and textures that I saw in nature, the transient tones in clouds, the colours of sunsets, the movement of seagulls in flight, and in contrast the fascinating details of architectural drawings.
I read Art History at university, and wrote my thesis on Art Nouveau & Fin de Siecle jewellery - I then began my career in antique jewellery in London. I qualified as a Fellow of the Gemmological Association and Diamond Grading Associate, winning the Tully Medal for highest result worldwide for gemmology in 2007. I became a Jewellery Valuer and then on to be Manager of other jewellers.
But my passion was always drawing - I didn't expect one day it could become a career!
Moving to London
making a career from passion
When I had my first child, I decided to turn my passion into something ‘more’.
It began with the Queen’s 90th birthday - my husband, who always admired the Queen, encouraged me to draw a portrait of one her corgis & it was on receiving a happy thank you letter from Windsor Castle that really gave me the confidence boost I needed.
I started with portraits of pets & wildlife and then moved onto children. Today my subject range is extensive and I love new challenges!
From then to now
After my second was born, I began to use some of the wildlife works for a series of greetings & Christmas cards. This then expanded into a growing bespoke stationery business including bespoke wedding stationery and personalised notecards/writing paper.
My inspiration comes from watching wildlife & bringing it to life on paper.
Recently I am very proud to have been invited to be a supplier for the National Trust & some of Kent’s finest garden centres
The craziest thing I have learned about being an artist is that the ‘art’ part is relatively small. I have had to learn how to be an accountant, a website designer, a social media expert (still learning that one!!!) & administrator. It never stops!
Though each day is a challenge, it is such a joy to work & take pride in everything I do.