In 1992, I obtained a degree in fashion design from Central St Martins, where I had nurtured a love for colour, pattern, narrative and illustrating the female form. However, upon the arrival of my firstborn, soon after graduating, I made the decision to forgo a career in fashion design and instead follow my instincts to paint.
Three daughters later, I had established myself as a fulltime art teacher, later to become a faculty leader of Arts and Senior leader within the school. During this time, I continued to produce and exhibit paintings at the John Russell Gallery until it closed in 2017.
In 2020 I left teaching to pursue painting full time and have exhibited widely across the country with work included at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Liberty London, and Arundel Contemporary. Today I work between private commissions and gallery exhibitions.
Sculpture has been a fascination for me throughout my childhood and adult life and often features within my figurative compositions. Immersed in the drama of a studio environment I display still life, usually on the all-important table, to include my father’s sculptures, plants, flowers, collected ceramics and back drops of patterned cloth. Colour, whether squeezed from a fresh tube of paint or smudged from a soft oil pastel fills me with enthusiasm and is important within my work.
The idea of symbolism excites me. My compositions aim to immerse viewers in worlds where the feminine subject, is set in a rich narrative. Within this context, I observe female strength and often feature women reading about female protagonists or artists. My mother herself an artist, has been a strong role model and her paintings and vast collections of objects and artefacts have been a constant source of inspiration.
Through my paintings I hope to champion marginalised voices and stories, celebrating the strength of women in art and society, and reclaiming their agency and autonomy. I strive to capture the complexity and depth of the female experience through gestures, expressions, and the arrangement of objects within compositions.
I explore the beauty of introspection, portraying scenes of quiet contemplation, amidst lush fabrics, intricate patterns, and vibrant colours that mirror both external surroundings and inner worlds. I hope my interior scenes serve as sanctuaries, allowing the free exploration of one’s thoughts, emotions and identities whilst viewing them.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 - Arundel Contemporary
2023/22 - The Aldeburgh Gallery
2022 - That Art Gallery
2013/2009/2008 – The John Russel Gallery
Group Exhibitions 2024 – 1996
Arundel Contemporary - Arundel
Murus - Acton
Livingstones St Ives
East Cliffe House Summer Exhibition
Atherton Green Art – Hampshire
Liberty London
Nadia Waterfield Fine Art – Hampshire and Bruton
Catharine Miller Gallery - London
Artologie – Haywards Heath
Lime Tree Gallery Long Melford and Bristol
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – London
The Russell Gallery – London
Birch - Hertfordshire
McCully and Crane – Rye
Iona House Gallery - Woodstock
Editions Ltd - Liverpool
Boho House - Norfolk
MF Framing - Ipswich
John Russell Gallery - Ipswich
Art For Cure - Suffolk
Hatfield Hines - Holt
Art Fusion - Miami
Art Fairs 2023 – 2017
Fresh Art Fair - Ascot – Atherton Green Art
Contemporary Art Fair Sandown – Atherton Green Art
Affordable Art Fair – Battersea Nadia Waterfield Fine Art
Decorative Art Fair – Battersea Catharine Miller Gallery
Decorative Art Fair – Olympia Thomas Spenser Fine Art