my paintings
I paint in watercolour, enjoying the accidental marks created by the paint's flow and expanding on these with pencil and other media. My inspiration comes from the beautiful coastlines and villages of Pembrokeshire, North Yorkshire and South Wales, and trips abroad, particularly to Italy. A love of gardens and all things botanical started as a child, visiting the many gardens around County Durham with my family. I find a boundless wealth of interest in the texture, form and colour to be found in the natural world, from the tiny detail of a flower to the larger landscape.
about me
I was born in Darlington, County Durham and studied at Loughborough college of art and design in the 1970s, leaving with an Honours degree in Textile Design. I've lived in South Wales since 1984 and work from my studio at home in Cardiff. Alongside my art practice I've taught watercolour, designed gardens, and have been involved in the running of a Cardiff art gallery, Oriel Makers, since 1992. My paintings have been bought by customers in many countries and are currently sold online and through Oriel Makers. You can follow me on Facebook for news from my studio.
monoprint collage
In the summer of 2017 I started making a new collection of one off original prints using plant materials from my garden in Cardiff. The fragile nature of the flowers and leaves means that each print is completely unique. The textures and surprising effects that result have inspired a new, more intuitive way of working giving me fresh ideas as I go along. I use these prints to build up slowly into collages combining them with grey-scale prints of my watercolour paintings to create surreal visions of familiar places.
commissions
I have completed many commissions for businesses and private customers in the UK and USA. Please contact me and I would be happy to discuss your ideas.
For other custom pieces take a look at my Etsy shop where you can order a Calligraphy Print combining a personal message with a print of one of my paintings.
RBGA
Roath Botanic Garden Artists was formed in 2010 by myself and artist friend Louise Young. The idea was to celebrate the plant life of Cardiff's parks, gardens and wild places through paintings and drawings, including traditional botanical illustration and more contemporary work. There are now six of us and we've held exhibitions in many venues including the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and most recently, Insole Court in Cardiff. To find out more visit our facebook page.