It started when I was about 7 years old with a single swallow skimming low over a field in the English Lake District. I was overwhelmed by this beautiful creature that had crossed oceans, savannahs and deserts to be there. I loved everything about it; its perfect form and glorious fluid flight and I wanted to capture its essence. I remember thinking if I could I would fly with it. I began to draw birds.

 

I grew up in Warwickshire and spent much of my early life wandering in its woods and fields and became a passionate lover of wildlife. I now still sketch from life and make more finished works in watercolour in my studio at home in a Buckinghamshire village. I also make linocuts and drypoints.

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Illness in early adulthood meant I never got to art college, so I attended a life drawing group for several years, and just drew and painted. Later I gained an honours degree in Art History from the Open University. I have written many articles on art and wildlife subjects for magazines.

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For many years I exhibited in our annual multi-artist exhibitions at our gallery, Rightangle in Brackley, Northamptonshire.

 

My work has been published in calendars for over ten years by Salmon Calendars and by Flame Tree Publishing of London. I have recently helped to illustrate a soon to be published book on exotic poultry.

 

Witnessing the natural world dwindle over my lifetime has been hard to bear although I try to remain optimistic. I aim to avoid overt sentimentality but am happy to embrace my own emotional response to the creatures I meet.

I have travelled widely in Europe, the USA, Asia and Africa and carry a sketchbook wherever I go.