The Artist
When people walk into my studio they often ask, “Have you always painted?” and I always reply, “Yes”. I can’t remember a time when painting and drawing have not been central to my world. When at primary school I had to decorate the assembly hall with 4ft. cartoon figures! I was awarded the Art Prize before leaving Kirkcaldy High School. I went on to train at Duncan of Jordanstone College in Dundee, and at Edinburgh Art College. While bringing up my family of three children I did mainly commissioned work and private teaching.
I moved to Surrey in the mid-eighties and undertook much more teaching, and studied the human form in great depth working intensively, exclusively from the model. As you can see from my life and portrait work, I have evolved a way of portraying the human form using line supported by colour, almost like a scaffolding. The result is a fragmented image held together with accurate observation and true perspective. I love the challenge of a truly foreshortened pose. Also the light reflecting on the form I find particularly inspiring.
Whilst in Surrey I Had four solo shows at The Gallery, Virginia Water, as well as exhibiting there and in London and other local galleries. (See my CV).
I have now moved to an idyllic location in South Devon, facing Burgh Island Hotel and fronting onto the sea. I just love to paint and now have the immense challenge of shifting sands and constantly changing seas and skies in all weathers. I quite often just sit on our deck watching and observing, remembering every sight, sound and smell.
One of my main sources of inspiration has been the wonderful Art Deco Hotel on Burgh Island – its architecture in relation to its environment. My main objective is always to orchestrate interconnecting rhythmic colours and shapes to create a vision beyond realism.
I am primarily a studio artist, losing myself in memories of direct observation, aided by sketches and photographs. My work aims to merge imagination with reality. I work mainly in Pastels on Glasspaper and in oil on block canvas. I apply the paint with a palette knife, resulting in a thickly textured surface. My most recent work is almost three-dimensional!
Included in my portfolio is a body of work very special to me – my personal interpretations of the wild life in Africa – especially the elephants. I spend three months a year in South Africa during which time I visit the Addo Elephant Park and other South African National Parks. I have been portraying elephants for some years, trying at first to portray the inter-relationships of elephants. With my most recent pieces “Baby Love”, I tried to capture the physical essence of the elephants – the baby so close to its mother so gentle and loving, and “Newborn” – a very special vision – a very tiny precious baby protected by the matriarchs, peering out from giant legs and trunks. As you can imagine I adore elephants – they are truly wonderful creatures. I have my impressions of the Bull elephant and the elephant herd for sale in the Ghuba Gallery in Hout Bay, South Africa.
My zebra paintings are concerned with the variations of the patterned stripes, creating a wonderful moving image. The Flamingos, executed in pastels, is a series of abstract shapes creating the illusion of a moving mass of these beautiful birds that I saw at Lake Nakura in Kenya. My penguin pieces, also in pastel, are sketches done at Boulders Beach near Capetown, famous for its nesting colony of South African penguins. I tried to capture the humour of the interaction between these charming birds.
One of the most challenging commissions that I have undertaken is a large six-panel installation for the Ganges Room in Burgh Island Hotel. More recently I have completed a commission of a stunning view of Kingsbridge estuary, and a lovely view across the Avon Estuary towards Bantham.
