About Me
I am a professional wildlife artist, animal artist, printmaker and silver jewellery maker living and working in the beautiful West Sussex countryside, not too far from where I was born.
Being an artist gives me my identity and my purpose in life.
I grew up in Emsworth, on the south coast. After leaving school I was intending to go to art college and become a silversmith, but following a serious motorbike accident I put those plans on hold and worked for a few years in various office based jobs. I returned to full time education at the age of 28, after another life changing event, studying art at Suffolk College of Art in Ipswich and Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, finally gaining my B.A.Hons degree. I specialised in printmaking and Illustration, producing my hand made limited edition prints which I sold in galleries in London and abroad and worked on illustration commissions.
Over time my medium choice and subject matter changed so that I was painting more and more animals, both domestic and wild, mostly in pastels and mostly to commission. The natural world and wildlife are my abiding passion so it was inevitable that I would go in this direction.
I have been very fortunate to go on several safaris to South Africa and Kenya and to scuba dive at locations all around the world, to gather information and draw some of the amazing creatures I have encountered.
I returned to a form of printmaking with drypoint which I have also taught occasionally. This method involves drawing directly on to a metal or plastic plate and inking it up so there are no harmful chemicals involved in etching a design.
A few years ago I took some classes working with silver, something I had always had an interest in, and after building on those skills, I now have a range of hand produced silver jewellery inspired by nature, and often featuring semi-precious stones and fossils.
I am always learning and always observing the birds and animals around me and the wonderful countryside they live in and trying, in my small way, to depict them as I see them. I have recently returned to a more illustrative style in my art and craft work using heightened colour and decorative ideas to portray my love of the subject.
Please browse through my pages to see samples of my artwork and feel free to contact me with any enquiries or commission ideas.
I am a member of Chichester Art Society and The Association of Sussex Artists. I regularly exhibit with them and at Southern Nature in Art . I have occasionally taught drypoint printmaking and pastels and have been accepted twice for the David Shepherd Artist of the Year online gallery, including 2019. I was accepted to exhibit with The Society of Equestrian Artists in 2015. Voted visitors favourite at The Chichester Art society’s Exhibition 2015, 2020 and 2024 at The Oxmarket Gallery. Won best portrait award with Cretacolour 2005 and runner up in Faber Castells pastel pencil competition. Awarded best stand at the Chichester Arts in Action event 2016 . I have also won the People’s Choice award at The Association of Sussex Artists exhibition 2019 .
For the last few years I have also taken part in the Emsworth art trail each spring which brings together local artists and craftspeople in a very vibrant and inspiring event. Now that MiWAS is back after a 10 year gap, I am also exhibiting with the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society.