Art
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.
My paintings dig deep – both into the land and my emotional response to it – and I work with whatever materials and tools best capture what I want to convey. This is usually acrylic paint which I might apply with a brush, stick, credit card or pebble but most often with my fingers!
By building up layers, scraping back then building again, I aim to echo the history, textures and experience of the land. I will also, occasionally, incorporate natural elements to enhance the sense of place. This might include mixing sand into the paint, creating ‘inks’ from natural pigments, such as berries, or dipping a finger or brush into the damp pigment (mud!) at my feet.
My paintings are most often described as expressive, although a move to deep countryside on the Dorset/Somerset border – plus residencies at Cape Cornwall and Durlston Nature Reserve – have encouraged me to lean further into abstraction. This gives me the freedom to draw attention to the details in the landscape that best tell the story of a place in a particular moment.
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 a rather terrifying one at times! (Thank you Storm Noa).
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 this freedom was liberating, powerful and informative, and sowed the seed for the workshops that I now offer.
My work on the path was covered by the BBC and shown at The Creative Path exhibition in July 2024, but what was most rewarding about the project was how it enabled 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 to my quarterly newsletter to be kept updated on exhibitions, creative workshops and retreats. I promise never to fill your inbox with unwelcome spam and you can cancel at any time.
Art Events for 2026
Here’s where you can find me this year
Exhibitions in 2026:
Grounded – The Fine Foundation Gallery, Durlston Castle April 26-May 14th
A solo exhibition celebrating the land and slow engagement with it, while also prompting questions about our relationship with nature.
Breathing Land – The Mowlem, Swanage May 16th-July 3rd.
A joint exhibition with Swanage artist Jessamy Hawke featuring artwork created from – or inspired by – the natural forms, textures and energy of the Southwest.
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. Workshops and talks this year are at being held at Durlston Country Park, Swanage and the Wilde Story, near Sherborne.
NB Workshops have now finished for 2026. See below for the link for my newsletter if you would like to be kept informed about events in 2027.
