ABOUT
Originally from London, I have also lived in Sussex, Somerset, Mid Wales and Shropshire. Sheffield has been my home since 1990. I grew up around art with artists in the family, and was always encouraged with books and materials. Rather than create, I was in awe of the pictures, especially the realistic pieces, they were fascinating to me. It wasn't until my teens I realised I had an aptitude for drawing. Even then I particularly loved depicting animals, and filled up the backs of my exercise books with sketches from imagination when I should have been working in class.
I enjoyed O level art and wanted to do A level, but not being academic I couldn't settle on the other subjects I had to study alongside it. It was around this time that I was also really into bands and music, and that side of my creativity took over. I taught myself to play bass, and had a fun few years in a couple of bands playing gigs and recording. Gradually I became more interested in the dance scene and djing- an unlikely lifestyle for an introvert like me, but my enthusiasm for the music and dancing was something I was driven to share.
By the end of my twenties life had calmed down and I had my children. When they were very young I started going to an informal art class, just two hours a week. It was a way to socialise as they had a creche and my friends went- the art was almost secondary, but it felt good to rekindle my interest. Twenty years later I was still a regular and only stopped due to the covid crisis. I tried many different styles and techniques, mostly painting, gradually using more and more colour pencil in the final stages of my work. I did a piece that was almost all colour pencil and that was it, I fell in love with the medium and have been motivated to create and learn more ever since.
These days I live with my two sons and two cats. I still love my music and am looking forward to when gigs resume, but am just as happy enjoying a game of pool while listening to tunes at home. Pool is another love of mine that involves wielding a wooden stick, and I play or practice every day.
