Hello!

I thought I’d start with a more informal introduction as I’m a human and an artist and I don’t believe that being professional means that I also have to be corporate and “the brand”, so, if you’re interested, here are a few little snippets about me and my life.

Upbringing

Obviously this is going to have had a huge influence on me so lets start there…

I was lucky enough to be raised by two fantastic women, my mother and grandmother, both strong, determined, resouceful, quietly unconventional, and creative women.

Both of them always believed in me, never wanted me to worry about fitting in, and encouraged me to go after whatever I wanted. They helped me through most of the toughest times in my life and helped to make me who I am today (yes, it’s partly their fault!)

My childhood was spent outside enjoying a lot of freedom, usually playing in the forest, or the wheat fields that backed onto our garden, messing about in the brook when the weather was good, rescuing hedgehogs, and laying on the top of a climbing frame watching bats fly over.

When the weather wasn’t so good it was spent with books (lots and lots of books), music (a heavy diet of blues, soul, rock, Prince, David Bowie, a lot of Leonard Cohen), art, culture, history, and doing anything creative…all interests that have stuck with me.

There was always good food, candlelit little feasts with music on in the background, incense, cosiness (and more candles!), dancing like lunatics around the house, trips to museums and stately homes, fearlessly hareing around on bikes with friends, clambering over rubble on bits of wasteland, and flopping down to catch our breaths in meadows with the wildflowers.

Which might go some way to explaining why I’m a bit of a geek sometimes and my studio space often smells of vanilla or sandalwood (and occasionally patchouli if I’m feeling nostalgic)!

Work Thoughts

I love my job. I really love it…at least 90% of the time anyway, the days when the computer is playing up, the nib I need has gone missing, and I just spilled paint or ink all over the table…not so much, but those days are worth it for the good days!

For a long time I had such anxiety about my work. It didn’t look like other artists work that I admire, and no matter how much I tried to make my work look like that…it was a disaster! There is a reason that I have never shown those attempts anywhere.

My mind is a strange place and tends to translate things in it’s own way. I fought against that for ages, but now I really like that.

I now create work that comes naturally to me, with lines and shapes that make sense to me on topics and themes that interest me and that I love.

It may not be completely conventional, and that’s good. My work won’t be for everybody, and it shouldn’t be! Those who do like it, love it!

A lot of influences filter in, some more obvious than others, some are more influences on the way I think and the way I see the world and won’t show in my work at all but they are there.

Other Stuff

So now you know you know my background, what else is there to tell you?

I’m not great at talking about myself, (If you stick around, you’ll get to know me over time) so here are 12 random facts…

(which may grow if I can think of anything else that I want to add)

• I tend to be quite private person, any personal things I share publicly tends to just be surface level stuff, and I keep my close circle(s) small. Over the years there have been some strange and wonderful people in my life who for the time they were there have also had a huge influence on me.
• I’ve always been happy to surround myself with all sorts of people, as long as they aren’t the more hateful types then weirdness and oddities are not only accepted but actively encouraged. It makes life interesting!
• I’m never far from music of some sort, or a book, or a cuppa!
• I wear far too much black and I like it.
• My sense of humour can be odd but not usually offensive.
• I’m very much an emotional creature, and I tend to follow my heart a lot of the time.
• I’m 5’4″ which some people think is short and others don’t, no I don’t know what to do with that information either!
• I love listening to people ramble on about whatever they are passionate about, I may not react, I sometimes may not have a clue what they are talking about but the rambling can be relaxing and enthusiasm is infectious and should usually be encouraged.
• I’m very camera shy and never look right in photos, seriously! A friend who was a professional photographer once tried to take some photos of me and couldn’t work out how I looked fine in front of him but not quite right in the photo…it’s a very specific and ultimately useless superpower!

• I have worked in a few creative areas in the past. I’ve worked in the jewellery industry (both selling and as a silversmith), as a ghost writer (not nearly as interesting as it sounds), as a session vocalist (for a very short time a long time ago, I sound awful now!), gig organising and promoting, and as a propmaker.
• I’m an introvert and an overthinker and I (usually) think these are strengths not weaknesses.

(This post will probably be updated from time to time)