Art
Artist Statement
My work is inspired by the experience of walking, especially in wild, open landscapes such as those in County Donegal, Ireland (where my family have lived for generations) and the South West of England, especially.
My paintings dig deep – both into the land and my emotional response to it – and aim to capture the moods, textures, energy and history of a place in a way that also acknowledges my inner landscape.
I work with mixed media using whatever tools my environment offers to best capture what I want to convey. This might be a stick or pebble but is most often my fingers!
I also enjoy incorporating natural elements as another way of capturing a true sense of place. This might include mixing sand into the paint, creating ‘inks’ from natural pigments, such as berries, or simply dipping a finger or brush into the damp mud at my feet.
My paintings are expressive and textural in nature and the most recent series, inspired by residencies at Cape Cornwall and Durlston nature reserve, seem to be leaning further into abstraction. This gives me the freedom to draw attention to the details in the landscape that best suggest its history or its impact on the senses and, I believe, gives the work an enhanced sense of place.
Walking Artist
During 2023 I became a roaming artist, thanks to my 50 Pictures for 50 Years project, in which I partnered with the South West Coast Path Association to celebrate its 50th birthday. It was a hugely rewarding, challenging and inspirational experience, if also – thanks to the weather – an occasionally terrifying one!
One could spend a year – years even – exploring and interpreting just one square mile of beauty; so trying to do justice to 630 miles of Coast Path was clearly an impossible task! I decided to approach it as a year of creative play, and to allow myself to simply see what emerged.
Giving myself the freedom to just play was liberating, powerful and informative, and sowed the seed for the workshops that I offer as part of The Creative Path. (Find out more on The Creative Path page).
All my work on the path eventually led to The Creative Path exhibition at Durlston Castle in July 2024, which was a remarkable experience for me. I love how exhibiting my work allows me to connect with people who are similarly passionate about the environment, how it shapes us and how we can support it in return.
If you like what I do
Please feel free to chat to me on Instagram or get in touch via the contact form below if you have any questions about my work. And do sign up for my quarterly newsletter below to be kept updated on my exhibitions, creative workshops and retreats.
Art Events for 2026
Here’s where you can find me this year
Workshops
I love leading workshops that encourage other people to tune into nature and let it inspire their own creativity – discovering all of the health benefits that brings along the way. (You can find out more on The Creative Path page).
My next workshops are in April and June, at The Wilde Story just outside Sherborne. See my News page and sign up to my newsletter to be kept informed.
April Exhibition at The Fine Foundation Gallery, near Swanage
My new exhibition, Grounded, will open at The Fine Foundation Gallery in Durlston Country Park in late April, open every day.
This beautiful gallery is the perfect home for my work, situated on the SW Coast Path, overlooking the sea and with beautiful walks in either direction.
To be kept informed about events, workshops and more, you can sign up to my quarterly newsletter. I promise never to fill your inbox with unwelcome spam.
