About
Creating lyrical work to the underlying pulse and rhythms of nature
I was born in Havering and grew up in Norfolk then Perthshire. Early turps-tinted memories of drawing with my artist grandfather and visits to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art led me to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee.
Poetry inspired my degree show, and I continue the connection today. This was complemented by further academic study in horticulture, garden design and botanical painting.
Working in harmony with the seasons is central to my artistic philosophy. I am fascinated by how nature reveals itself throughout the year.
I acutely observe natural forms, meticulously drawing and matching their colour. My paintings typically begin figuratively then, utilizing multiple layers of thin paint, move through stages of simplification and abstraction.
Poetry remains integral to my creative process. I now write my own short form poems that exist in dialogue with my visual work. This economy of language mirrors the distillation I seek in my paintings. I am excited to start work on my own illustrated book of poems in the Japanese tradition of haiga, where image and words have equal significance.
My North Yorkshire home studio provides endless inspiration – the garden, daily canal walks, local moors, and ever-changing skies. I increasingly desire silence but embrace sounds in nature, which deeply resonate through my art, from birdsong to the susurration of trees.
I am always happy to discuss my work, commissions or collaborations.
Interviews
In 2025 I collaborated with Harrod Horticultural for their Pop-Up Shop on King’s Road which preceded their annual participation in the Chelsea Flower Show:
In 2021 I was interviewed by writer and poet Amanda White about my haiku writing:
Award-winning watercolour ‘Final Bow’ (Peonia cv.), 2015
Education
1997 BDes (Hons) Illustration and Printmaking, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee University, UK
2012 RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (QCF), Craven College, Skipton, UK
2013 EDEXCEL BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Garden Design, RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, UK
2015 Botanical Painting Diploma, Pass with Distinction, London Art College, UK
