I was born and raised in West London, where my artistic tendencies were nurtured and encouraged by my school teachers. When I was fifteen, my family and I moved to Western Australia, where the new environment further developed my passion for colour and light. After four years, I returned to London, finished university and started a family. To make a living, I worked in the car rental industry and art took a back seat to become an enjoyable distraction from the stresses of daily life.

Several years ago, I was suddenly taken ill with encephalitis  (a brain inflammation) which left me unable to breathe on my own and with very little coordination. With time, I slowly relearned how to do essential things, such as breathing, talking, eating and writing. Walking is still an ongoing project. As a result, my need to create art has been a soothing balm to reality as well as a way to improve my dexterity.

We now live in North Devon, which offers plenty of inspiration with its spectacular skies and coastal waters. Oil paint is the medium I love most, although pastels and watercolour inks also fill me with joy. I appreciate the slow drying time of oil paints, as it gives me more time to experiment with different textures. To create depth and luminosity, I often use metal leaf and layered glazes of paint. These techniques make my paintings interesting up close as well as from a distance, although this can be hard to replicate in photographs.

Thank you for your interest,
Dawn