Q:   Can you share how your artistic journey began? What inspired you to start creating, and how has that initial spark evolved over time?

A: I’ve always been creative, having spent years as a primary school teacher, but I never had the chance to focus on art for long. This changed when my children started to study Art, which led us to create an art space at home. It quickly became clear that I was using it far more than they were.

Then, 14 years ago, after losing my father, I left teaching and started to manage our family farm. This shift allowed me to immerse myself in nature and embrace a more outdoor lifestyle.

In 2017, we decided to sell the farm—a process that took five years and was the scariest roller coaster ride of my life. During that time, art became my therapy, a way to escape the chaos around me. I’d spend hours unconsciously processing daily events while creating and  experimenting with various styles and mediums to find my own voice. Now, happily retired, I draw inspiration from nature, specializing in pastel paintings of the British wildlife.

Q:   What have been some of the most significant moments or challenges in your journey as an artist?

A: My first challenge as an artist was finding a medium and style that I felt I could express myself with. I’m a person of contrasts—incredibly organized at work, and disorganized in all other areas of my life. I yearn for loose, free creativity, but I’m perpetually drawn to packing too much detail into my pieces. Striking the right balance took time, but I’ve finally landed on a style that feels right: intricate details in facial or head features paired with a looser approach in other areas. This has been really rewarding and I feel grounded in this art style.

The next hurdle was cultivating some self-belief. For years, I dismissed art as being a mere hobby, even as friends and family urged me to create pieces for them or consider selling my work. Shaking my fierce stubborn imposter syndrome took ages. This has really only changed in the past few months. I’m now covering my costs and even prepping my first official tax return as an artist—a milestone I never imagined hitting.

My final challenge ties into my passion for nature: creating a collection of endangered British wildlife. A brilliant concept, but by definition, all the animals are endangered and so not readily available to pose for me to draw. Sourcing reference photographs, seeking permission and having limited examples to study from has made this first collection a little tricky. Thankfully, photographers have been incredibly generous and usually grant permissions without a fee.

I’ve donated 5% of the sales from this collection to the Wildlife Trusts charity—a small way to give back while bringing this vision to life.