I retired in 2010 having been a Secondary Headteacher for 17 years. I then went travelling with my husband for 3 months. When I returned I really didn’t know who I was for a while having worked in education for 37 years. I gradually went back, with some trepidation, to my first love of painting and textiles. I had taught art until I became a Deputy Headteacher aged 34 in 1986. After that I was involved in the leadership of schools and used my creativity focusing on improving schools. 

    When I began my journey back to art I did some courses to up-skill my expertise. I painted at home and experimented again using textiles and working on multi-media pieces. After a while I began exhibiting work at the Great Sheffield Art show and Art in the Gardens with some sales and successes. From here I cast my net a little wider and exhibited pictures in Sheffield and Derbyshire art galleries as well as joining a group of ‘mature’ artists in Derbyshire, linked to the Leabrooks Gallery. I also participated in the ‘Open Up Sheffield’ studios annually. All of this continues.

    In 2013, Tony and I downsized to a lovely cottage in Oughtibridge village, north Sheffield, where I also have a studio in the grounds of the house overlooking a lovely pond with ducks and a resident heron.

    My inspirations artistically came from local walks and also Derbyshire trails. I take photographs and use these as the impetus for my work. We also enjoy travelling abroad and in the UK where again I take photographs and do sketches to work on later.

    I am generally in my studio on a daily basis for 2 to 3 hours, often struggling with ideas and progress towards a finished piece, but I enjoy the process and the learning journey I have embarked upon.

    My studio is very often a messy state of paints, fabrics, dyes, cottons and found objects to include in my work.

    My artistic influences came from Paul Cezanne, Howard Hodgkin and David Hockney. Colour and textures are vital to my creative work. 

    I take commissions on a regular basis and enjoy the feedback from this process.

    I hope you enjoy looking at my website. Your comments are very welcome.

 

Thanks,