I was born in Knutsford, Cheshire in 1960. At the age of 20 years, I studied art on a foundation course in Northwich, Cheshire. I married and had two boys Matthew & William and was unable to pursue my art seriously for some time. I obtained a degree in Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University as a mature student in June 1997. I achieved my ambition late to create paintings and prints, but have always been inspired by the paintings of Matisse, Bonnard, Howard Hodgkin, Turner and Klimt.
My concern is for abstract art which is guided by what I call an ‘Inner Essence’, creating on an intuitive level through perceptual experience of the world.
Although not specifically religious, I have a faith in goodness, originality and natural feelings. I would wish that my art be a means to accessing this goodness/energy and it is through using the tools of brushes, paint and canvas, or printmaking methods that I can best express this.
As far as the subjects of my work are concerned, they are about one moment in time, seeing and feeling the beauty of the subject, usually landscape. I live in Macclesfield, Cheshire and we are lucky to have easy access to the peak district and surrounding countryside. I attempt to sum up the feelings of a place. It is always something which has been felt definitely and in which I have been inspired. The emotion is captured, held on to and then expressed, or translated as a whole. It is an expression of visual rhythm through colour and form and is abstract. It is an attempt to achieve beauty rather than literal representation of objects.
In today’s materialistic world, many people seem to have little time to reflect at the end of a day. An artistic creation whether: music, poetry, theatre or a painting, can be a means of escape from the pressures of life.
I try to create an art which is of purity, balanced, devoid of depressing subject matter and hope an art which evokes the viewer to feel uplifted after contemplation.
I am married to Mark, who is an IT architect. I have 3 boys: Matthew is studying medicine at Manchester University, William is studying A levels and Nathan is aged 6 years and is a handful - life is hectic juggling motherhood and art - but its worth it!
I work from my studio at home in Macclesfield where I hope to continue creating an abstract art in which I attempt to express the feelings of beauty around me through painting and printmaking for myself and others.
I completed a course on Interior Design in 2008, graduating with a distinction and am already starting to build up my own portfolio of products and services.