a little bit of background...
I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember. My earliest memory is my Nana taking sheets of loose paper and colouring pencils from a cupboard and handing them to me, while she got on with running a guest house. Memories of black and white films, leading ladies and Hollywood glamour prevail. I went on to study Fashion, then Illustration. I have French ancestry, and I find myself drawn to Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec and the wonderful voice of Edith Piaf. And there was always a family pet cat or dog. Of course at the time, I didn’t see any connection. Now I see how relevant these experiences were, how they have shaped and informed my work, and continue to do so.
People and animals are my muse. I’ve been attending life drawing classes for over thirty years, sketches are always my starting point. I work quickly and instinctively in charcoal, pencil or ink, trying to capture the beauty and simplicity of the form, looking at the shape and line the body takes. I use traditional printmaking techniques, discovered at University: linocuts to produce bold, graphic images, inspired by Lautrec’s lithographs, and drypoint to create minimal, illustrative line drawings. Schiele and Lautrec’s mastery of figure drawing and observation continue to astound me. As does Sybil Andrews’ vibrant linocuts, capturing the spirit of 1930s Britain. Most recently, a Helene Schjerfbeck retrospective at the Royal Academy inspired me to return to painting.
I always knew I wanted to be an Artist. Growing up in 1980s North East England, a career as an Artist was never seen as a realistic or sensible option by most, but I’m glad I persevered. It’s been a steady but wonderful path, one I’m still on. I’m only now discovering the joy of mixed media and printmaking, thanks to my fellow studio artists and a shared etching press. I intend to keep drawing, experimenting and enjoying art. To keep discussing, observing, and learning. I hope my best work is yet to come. I don’t know yet what this work will look like, but that’s the joy of it... the expression of the line or mark, the excitement of colour, the peeling back of the first print off the press, the unexpected.