Bio
I live in rural Aberdeenshire, in the north east of Scotland. I grew up in Pembrokeshire, Wales, but I have also lived in various parts of the UK and Europe. From the age of five I knew that I wanted to study the natural world and this led me to a degree in ecology and a scientific career studying wildlife and landscape at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and later at the University of Aberdeen.
Throughout this time, I never lost my passion for art and eventually the urge to paint became too powerful to suppress. I retired in 2019 and have been painting ever since. In 2020, I was fortunate to be part of the Portfolio Course at Bridge House Art in Ullapool, Scotland. Since then I have been spending my time painting either in the field or in the studio.
I have exhibited in: AntallaSolais – Ullapool, Heinzel Gallery – Aberdeen, Resipole Studios – Acharacle, Larks Gallery – Ballater and Tolquhon Gallery – Ellon.
Mostly, I work in watercolour because I love its luminosity, its immediacy and its unpredictability, but I also work with ink, charcoal, pastels, acrylics, oils and whatever else I can get my hands on. I rely extensively on direct observation in the field, but I also work in the studio, drawing heavily on memories, feelings and an emotional response to the natural world.
Emotion is at the heart of my paintings.
