“It was only as I gradually changed direction into the world of abstraction that I was able to fully express my emotions and feelings through my work.”
my story
I grew up in the north-west of England, but my dad was from the west of Ireland and mum from the Isle of Man. We passed all our summer holidays in Ireland and somehow, just as my dad was always so happy to return to his homeland, so was I.
It seemed natural to settle and make our home there. It’s where my heart belongs.
Ireland feels like home. The spectacular landscape and wild, wild weather fuel my creativity. They reach into my soul. There, I can immerse myself in the rural landscape and culture of community. People have time for each other in the small towns and villages. There is a sense of belonging. My paintings express my emotions in a way that makes the people who choose them feel understood. Their evocative personalities reach into your soul and draw you to engage and connect with them rather than simply gaze at them.
More about where i live
I’m a bit of a nomad, which is possibly what drew me to the Middle East. We’ve lived in Turkey, Bahrain and Oman too! Here in the UAE, I am inspired by the cultural differences visible in the architecture, colours, patterns, textiles and clothes.
Our home in Ireland is overlooking Lough Mask. It’s on the edge of the Mayo Dark Sky Park, which has some of the darkest skies in the world! On clear nights we’ve been lucky enough to see meteor showers, planets and thousands of twinkling stars. We, by the way, are my husband, Huw, and cat, Basboos. My gorgeous daughter and her family live in England.
MY ARTWORK
My artwork gives you a chance to feel and an intriguing space to explore and escape from the world, just as I do when creating the work. The artwork can blur the lines between what is real or not, as you become part of it through a connection of shared emotion.
The right piece of art helps you to create your own stories in what you can see. The right painting speaks to you and the feeling it evokes stays with you long after viewing it. With my art, your heart will tell you which one to choose.
My journey
The complex geometric forms that I constructed and painted on large canvases were well received, and for a while I listened to the praise of what others were saying rather than my heart, which was telling me that this approach wasn’t the right one for me.
Painting abstractly, allows me to explore everything that my heart wants to share rather than feeling constrained by geometric boxes.
My abstract art is highly charged with emotion and represents my innermost feelings. People who own my artwork have said it makes them feel understood. Just as I feel things strongly when I paint, my audience feel strongly when they encounter my work. Even if the emotion they experience is different, the painting serves us both.
I paint from visualised memories of experiences and emotions. They guide my palette knife to bring to the canvas what’s inside me. It’s like a form of meditation that allows me to process my experiences.
“I paint from visualised memories of experiences and emotions.”
“With my art, your heart will tell you which one to choose.”
Sign up for my VIP Email List
Be the first to receive news and updates about my process, exclusive new collections and private views. You can unsubscribe at any time.