I am a British artist whose practice is rooted in direct observation. Working primarily with ink, watercolour and oil, I create drawings and paintings from life, often outdoors and on location.

I am known for my work exploring place, landscape, architecture and the experience of being present within a location, my practice investigates the relationship between drawing and painting through mark-making, tone, pattern and structure.

Recent developments and experiences have expanded my practice into observational portraiture and drawing-led narrative, exploring how people and their stories may be recorded with the same immediacy and authenticity that characterise my landscape work. I am continuing to explore new directions while remaining committed to direct observation as the foundation of my practice.

I enjoy exhibiting nationally and have undertaken commissions, collaborations, residencies, teaching and public engagement projects throughout the UK and Ireland. My work is held in public and private collections nationally and internationally.

OPEN STUDIOS, PLEIN AIR EVENTS AND ARTIST-LED INITIATIVES

2024–2025
Creative Director and Organiser, Spirit of Malvern Plein Air Painting Competition

Instigated and led the inaugural and following year’s  Spirit of Malvern plein air painting competition, bringing together more than 100 artists each year to paint across the Malvern landscape. Responsible for concept development, event organisation, artist engagement, promotion and delivery.

2021–2025
Worcestershire Open Studios

2022–2025
Hereford Art Week

2016–2020
Hampshire Open Studios

2019
Pintar Rapido London
Judge and Demonstration Artist

RESIDENCIES

2026 Hugo Burge Foundation / Borders Art Fair Residency, Scottish Borders

This funded residency provided an opportunity to develop a new strand of work centred on informal portraiture and the creative individuals who contribute to a community. This experience marked an important evolution in my practice, extending a long-standing interest in recording place towards exploring the people who shape it.

2019 Artist Residency, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth

2017 Residents artist Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton, Hampshire with Hampshire Cultural Trust

2015 Visiting research artist onboard HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Docklands  (MA project)

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2026 The Hugo Burge Foundation and Boarders Art Fair residency

2022 The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom 25th Anniversary commission

2022 Winner, Broadway Arts Festival Plein Air Paint-Off

2022 Selected Artist, ING Discerning Eye Exhibition

2019 Selected Artist, Sunday Times Watercolour Competition

2018 Selected Artist, Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition

2015, 2018 Selected Artist, Kyffin Williams Drawing Prize

2017 Exhibiting Finalist, Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, Margate Contemporary

2016 Finalist and Wildcard Winner, Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year

2016 Winner, Pintar Rapido (en plein air) London

2016 Selected Artist, Sunday Times Watercolour Competition

2015 Winner, Spice Island Art Trail, Portsmouth

2015 2017 Selected Artist, Kyffin Williams Drawing Prize

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS

2023, 2026 Fresh Art Fair, Cheltenham

2024, 2025, 2026 Borders Art Fair

2022, 2025 ING Discerning Eye

2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Bath Art fair

2020 Bath Society of Artists Open Exhibition

2018 Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition

COMMISSIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

2025 Private Commission, The Four Abbeys, Scottish Borders

2022 Defence Academy of the United Kingdom 25th Anniversary Commission

2018 Joint Commission for Hampshire Cultural Trust and Jane Austen’s House Museum

2018 (- present) Collaborations with Art Organisations
The Artist Magazine, Artists and Illustrator Magazine, Royal Talens Artists Materials, Jackson’s Online, Loxley, West Dean (online provision), Art Academy Community Projects and Saturday art Clubs (online),

TEACHING AND WORKSHOPS

Qualified teacher with more than thirty years of educational experience and extensive specialist teaching in observational drawing, plein air practice, ink, watercolour and creative development.

Adult Teaching Experience

The Art Academy, London (2017-2021)

The Schoolhouse for Art, Dublin (2018-2021)

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation (2018-2021)

Private tuition, mentoring, workshops and demonstrations (2015-present)

UK wide art groups and societies (2015-present)

Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth (2017-2022)

St Barbe Museum and Gallery (2017-2020)

Naval Headquarters Portsmouth (NCHQ)

Schools (1994-2016) Head of Foundation Phase, community organisations (including SEND) and individual artist development programmes. Bridgemary School, Gosport

CURRENT PRACTICE AND DEVELOPMENT

While direct observation remains at the heart of my practice, recent work has expanded beyond landscape and place-based subjects into observational informal portraiture and visual storytelling.

The 2026 Hugo Burge Foundation residency provided an opportunity to explore informal portraiture and the role that creative individuals play in shaping a community. This emerging strand continues to develop alongside my established landscape practice.

I am also exploring drawing-led narrative work, including early picture-book concepts that combine observation, place and story.

Looking ahead, I hopes to revisit printmaking and etching, building on earlier first degree experience years ago, of the medium as a future stage in her artistic development.

EDUCATION

2012–2014
Master of Fine Art (MFA), Aberystwyth University

1989–1993
Bachelor of Education (Honours), Art Specialism, King Alfred’s College, Winchester

1987–1988
Foundation Course in Art and Design, Carmarthen College of Technology and Art

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Hampshire Cultural Trust, National Trust for Ireland, Ceredigion County Council

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS Works held in private collections throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

2015 onwards – I taught in schools in Exeter, Hampshire and Ceredigion finishing as Head of The Foundation Phase in a large primary school and then some varied supply teaching roles.

I hold a current and transportable DBS for use with children or vulnerable adults which can be viewed on request.

 

© I am represented by DACS (Designers and Artists Copyright Services) for all reproduction permissions.
Please email for further details.