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A little bit about me...
My journey as an artist started very early in life with a dinky little watercolour set a most prized possession. I think a painting of Noddy might have been my first foray into painting....and my parents put it in a little red frame. From that point on I was totally hooked.
As a child I found myself enchanted by detailed and captivating children's book illustrations often featuring wildlife. Many of my paintings as a teenager (GCSE and A Level art withstanding) were of birds. My parents had a marvellous Reader's Digest AA book of Birds, with some stunning illustrations in by Raymond Harris Ching, and this ignited my love of drawing and painting wildlife.
After studying English Literature at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, and gently prodding my artistic dreams in different directions for many years whilst working in London and Yorkshire, I finally returned to this first true passion when my own love of nature, wildlife observations and photography finally provided me with the perfect reference material and experiences to work from.
I currently live in Beverley East Yorkshire with my lovely family and my Furry Studio Assistant who shall be known here only as "Beaglebum". As a fully fledged Art Assistant Beagle, she reserves the right to soundtrack most of my creations with her snoring, and is always on hand for soothing away any creative stress!!
I am now delighted to be represented by Galleries across Yorkshire, Cumbria and Scotland, and regularly take part in Beverley Open Studios.
My Medium
I work mainly with the precision detail of light fast fine liner graphic pens and the more gentle subtle wash of watercolour varying in use and strength depending on what suits the subject best. I enjoy experimenting with the relationship between these two hugely different mediums and the variety of outcomes they create
I am also currently exploring drypoint intaglio printing. I really love the vintage feel of some of these prints, and its definitely something I am enjoying mixing into my practice. Learning new techniques encourages new ideas to form and helps me develop and hone my own unique style.
My Inspiration
Inspiration is not hard to come by when you live in beautiful Yorkshire! Stunning woodland, the beautiful Yorkshire Coast, dramatic moorland and all the amazing wildlife that call it home.
I am a birder, amateur photographer and wildlife wanderer, and have found a constant and unfailing stream of inspiration from these activities. Living in the historic market Town of Beverley in East Yorkshire, I am lucky to be surrounded by wonderful natural places to visit with my camera and binoculars.
A lifelong and continuing love of children's literature also strongly informs my work. Using imaginative details I hope to draw the viewer in and encourage them to slow down, and remember some of the magic of childhood.
techniques and processes
Photography to Sketch Pad
Photography to Sketch Pad
Photography to Sketch Pad
There is something extremely satisfying about often being able to use my own photography as a starting point for a piece. It gives me a strong sense of connectivity with the subject, as I can remember very clearly the experience of the bird or animal, its movements, the weather etc. It is not always possible, but when it does work it cre
There is something extremely satisfying about often being able to use my own photography as a starting point for a piece. It gives me a strong sense of connectivity with the subject, as I can remember very clearly the experience of the bird or animal, its movements, the weather etc. It is not always possible, but when it does work it creates a deeply rewarding full creative circle for me.
I use a Nikon DSLR camera with telephoto lens to make sure I keep at a respectful distance from wildlife, giving it space and putting wildlife first at all times.
Most of my photography is done during family walks, so by nature it is very opportunistic with little hanging about - unless I have everyone else's lunch in my backpack, in which case I can take as long as I like!!
Pens Pens and more Pens
Photography to Sketch Pad
Photography to Sketch Pad
I work in pencil first sketching out ideas until I settle on a composition. I then move on to pens. I must admit I do have quite a lot of pens, and even like to grade them from "brand new and full flowing" to "barely there and pretty dry", as this helps me create some of the much finer lines especially useful for fur and feathers. A pen i
I work in pencil first sketching out ideas until I settle on a composition. I then move on to pens. I must admit I do have quite a lot of pens, and even like to grade them from "brand new and full flowing" to "barely there and pretty dry", as this helps me create some of the much finer lines especially useful for fur and feathers. A pen isn't truly dead until it wont make a mark at all, and even then I have a problem with throwing them out!
I use Unipin lightfast graphic fine liners in varying thicknesses 0.3mm - 0.03mm, and I love how these pens can produce such a huge array of marks and textures.
Backgrounds on the pen drawings are very often painstakingly 4 way crosshatched in to create the hessian like dark base. It's very time consuming, but I love the play between the background and subject, and this has become a really important element of my personal style.
Printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking
I have quite recently fallen in love with intaglio print making. This technique involves physically engraving a reverse image into a copper plate or acetate sheet with a sharp scribe, then pushing ink into all the engraved lines, carefully and strategically cleaning the ink from the surface of the plate, and then using an etching press to
I have quite recently fallen in love with intaglio print making. This technique involves physically engraving a reverse image into a copper plate or acetate sheet with a sharp scribe, then pushing ink into all the engraved lines, carefully and strategically cleaning the ink from the surface of the plate, and then using an etching press to pull the print onto damp paper. I also love to incorporate vintage papers into these prints, in a process known as chine colle. I love these small variable editions where every print pulled has its own unique elements. Printmaking is certainly teaching me plenty about patience and perseverance!!
Paints
Printmaking
Printmaking
Watercolour paints were one of my first true artistic adventures, and they are still a favourite today. I think my never ending admiration for Beatrix Potter and Jill Barklem, Molly Brett and Racey Helps may have had something to do with this!
Today I use very high quality Schmincke watercolours and a variety of watercolour papers dependi
Watercolour paints were one of my first true artistic adventures, and they are still a favourite today. I think my never ending admiration for Beatrix Potter and Jill Barklem, Molly Brett and Racey Helps may have had something to do with this!
Today I use very high quality Schmincke watercolours and a variety of watercolour papers depending on the finish I require. I often mix watercolour with pen drawing to work in to the finer details of the birds and animals I am creating. Try as I might to keep things simple (and potentially speed things up!) detail invariably creeps in.
In these pieces I also often use masking fluid (also known in my studio as "Satan's Sticky Stuff" - as it is notoriously tricky to use) to block out areas, especially when creating coloured backgrounds.