I love to paint landscapes. Sometimes, out in the open air, this involves perching on a rock and having to hold my painting down to prevent it flying away in the wind, or having to stuff it in the rucksack and run for home when it starts to rain, hail or snow. At home in the studio I can paint larger pictures more slowly, and be more inventive.
I also paint still lifes and am always in search of interesting and unusual objects ... and I like to paint figures too and am intending to add more of them into the landscapes!
I studied ceramics at Bournemouth College of Art in the 1970s, and for many years I made batches of commemorative mugs from my shed workshop in Cumnor.
In the 1990s I ventured out to try to learn to paint … input from various inspirational tutors at Abingdon, Sunningwell, Blewbury and Wallingford made this a very interesting and creative time.
I use mostly acrylic, as the quick drying time enables a layering type of approach, and the use of dry brush, glazes, drawing, rolling and printing can all add to the complex broken colour effect I find exciting!
My other interests include folk music, Morris dancing, bell ringing, glow-worms and morris minors. I like writing poems too and sometimes these link to the paintings.
I live with Morris dancer/railway enthusiast Pete, and Sophie the cat, in a wooden bungalow just outside Cumnor.