About Me
I was born in Eastbourne, East Sussex in 1972 and from a young age have loved animals and nature, inspiring a lifelong passion for drawing and painting wildlife and the surrounding landscape. While still at school, I began receiving commissions for my artwork from teachers, which motivated me to study Art and Design at Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology. There, I had the opportunity to explore various media, including ceramics, life drawing, and print-making.
After completing a two-year diploma in General Art and Design, I chose to specialise in Natural History Illustration at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design (now Arts University Bournemouth - AUB). This course included architectural studies, visits to wildlife centres and areas of conservation to observe and illustrate animals in their natural habitats with great detail.
Driven by my desire to work with and care for animals, I embarked on a career in Veterinary Nursing which helped expand my knowledge of animal anatomy and behaviour. I loved it so much I stayed for 29 years!
Whilst training, I won veterinary competitions for designing a first aid advice leaflet and a poster promoting veterinary nursing as a career. This led to opportunities to create artwork for veterinary publications.
I continued to draw and paint, receiving commissions for pet portraits and a few house portraits, landscapes and seascapes.
Veterinary Nursing is a physically and emotionally challenging vocation so painting in my spare time became a form of mindfulness and a way to find my "happy place."
When my children were small and we read bedtime stories together, I was inspired to write stories of my own. I hope to one day illustrate them and get them published. Now my children are older and I have finally hung up my Veterinary Nurse uniform, I have more time to pursue painting as a profession rather than a hobby.
I live at the foot of the beautiful South Downs in Eastbourne, with my husband, two children and our delightful assortment of rescued dogs and chickens. My little studio, situated at the end of the garden, offers a pleasant daily commute to work.