I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, it has always been a passion. It seemed natural to go into a career teaching art and I always enjoyed it. Students are so inspiring, whatever aspect of art you are teaching they will come up with interesting ideas. There were very few who with a bit of time I couldn’t find some area of art that they could enjoy.
I was head of art at Carterton Comprehensive for about 10 years until 1989 when I left to have a baby. Afterwards, I went back to teaching at Bicester’s Cooper School as a job share. Carterton was a good school to work in and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and enjoy hearing from ex-pupils to see where their lives went.
I never stopped painting whilst I was teaching and eventually left to concentrate on my own work. I paint most afternoons when I am not on long distance walks or performing in various groups. The sea is infinitely inspiring in all of its moods, and I love playing with colour and texture to capture them. I exhibit regularly and am pleased when I sell work; it makes me happy to know other people are enjoying my paintings, and it also saves having them stacked against the wall! It's ever so exciting to know that they have been collected in many countries.
I also like to find forgotten things and show their beauty as in the image of The Cell Door which I found in Oxford Castle. So many forgotten people must have started at this and now it has become a beautiful object.
I was also a wild card on TV programme ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ which was a lot of fun and the best part was chatting to Stephen Mangan!
