ABOUT

My work explores contrasting landscapes; those once shaped by industry now reclaimed by nature along with ancient temperate rainforest and peat moorland. My work moves between these habitats not making judgement on their ecological value but observing beauty in their own unique characteristics.

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Working in acrylic, watercolour and charcoal, I paint both plein air and in my studio from sketches developed outside. My paintings are all places I visit regularly and are habitats that I seek to understand ecologically as well as visually.

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After graduating from Brighton University with a BA in printed textiles, I worked as a printed textile designer for 20 years. I became interested in ecology and restoration of habitats and I moved away from creative work for a period of time, choosing to re-train in environmental conservation. Since returning to painting I have found an urgency and delight in exploring, documenting and creatively responding to the diverse landscapes of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. I now divide my time between managing the landscape of a historic cemetery and painting.

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My paintings are semi-abstract, building up colour through opaque layers, exploring the tangle of positive and negative spaces that exist in woodlands. Detailed drawings often precede the looser final paintings. I frequently employ a limited colour palette; light and shade captured in intense colour. My work is rooted in observation, but the impacts of environmental factors such as competition for resources in a woodland or past industrial use are discussions that unfold alongside my paintings.

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