Elements of Abstraction

My work has developed over the years from trying to paint what I see to focus on the actual transfer of paint to the canvas. The mark making becomes the subject and a title suggests itself later but it often reflects the energy or serenity that I manage to bring to that particular work. I work in acrylics, often on a large scale, dabbing, splashing, scraping or even brushing to achieve the effect I’m after.

I was a member of Derby Sketching Club for many years and am now an elected Fellow of the Nottingham Society of Artists. My works have been shown in Derby Art Gallery, Derby Guildhall, the Nottingham Society exhibitions, various exhibitions in Nottinghamshire and a variety of Arts cafes. I produce works for private commissions as well as painting for my own inspiration. I won the Holbrook prize for my entry in the Nottingham Society of Artists Spring Show in 2022.

My work is unashamedly decorative and colourful, the aim is simply to be joyous. I love to experiment with painterly techniques, combining acrylic and water colour paint with mono-print, some drawing with inks and oil pastel and collage, both found and made - in short ‘mixed-media’ allowing me to create individualistic visual stories.

Subject matter is very organic and based on my local Leicestershire landscape, and my garden which I love. They inspire me with their colour, atmosphere and mood that I hope to capture using my mixed-media bag of tricks. I hope they delight the eye. The work is often small and intimate, done with the intention of sharing a sense of place, and as seasons change, it also affords me the opportunity to play with light and colour.

My Fine Art training was at Nottingham Trent University, and Foundation studies at Bolton College of Art. My work has been exhibited around the East Midlands in small galleries, theatres and at Art House Leicester 2024. I’m an exhibiting member of Nottingham Society of Artists, Leicester Society of Artists and Leicester Sketch Club, where I won the Bryan Ward prize in 2024. I was long listed for the ‘Visual Artists Open ‘24’ by the Visual Artists Association in London, and I show at the White Dove Gallery, Shenton.

My paintings are a response to the changing patterns of landscape, weather, and time. Working in mixed media, I create semi-abstract pieces that explore memory, atmosphere, and emotional connection to place. My process involves layering textures, marks, and colour to reflect forms and colours found in the natural world. Each work captures a moment shaped by environment and personal experience, inviting the viewer into a space of reflection. My aim is to make work which is easy to live with and which creates a connection to an emotion or place.

I am a Fellow of the Nottingham Society of Artists, and a member of the Scottish Society of Artists, and Society of Equestrian Artists. My work has been exhibited in galleries around the UK, including the Harley Gallery, the Tarpey Gallery, and is currently being shown at An Tobar on the Isle of Mull.

I also paint and draw animals, often for commission.