My Art
My painting style has gone through a number of changes but my subject matter has remained pretty consistent, landscapes and figures.
For many years I worked as a scenic artist for theatre and film and I always knew in advance what the outcome of my work had to be. In contrast my own work starts with an idea that I let develop and take its own course.
I often work on a series of paintings with one common theme. For me painting is a way of expressing emotions my words cannot fully capture. My starting point could be a memory, or a relationship or a fleeting moment. My paintings often are a way to tell a story, as my thoughts take shape in images rather than language.
Some of my paintings are developed through gestural brushwork, mark making and colour where I try to let my emotional energy and feelings direct my work. In these works, the process, the manipulation of materials and the physical act of creating becomes as important as the subject as I aim to capture a specific moment.
In other paintings I have a more definite story I wish to tell and these develop as more detailed scenes, drawing attention to nonverbal messages that are evident all around us.
My Background
I began my artistic journey very early, always knowing I wanted to spend my life being creative. I’ve been fortunate to turn that passion into a career that has embraced painting, designing, teaching and working for the entertainment industry. I’ve lived my dream – earning my living through painting while developing as a fine artist in my own right.
My love of large-scale work started when I studied mural painting at Glasgow School of Art. After completing my four-year degree at 20, I was awarded, along with Bob Jessamine, a Scottish Arts Council award to paint sixteen murals in my hometown of Glasgow. Mural painting naturally led me into painting for the stage and after a further study in Theatre Design at Croydon College of Art I went on to work as a fulltime set designer.
Ultimately, nothing fulfilled me as deeply as painting itself. I became a scenic artist, painting scenery for theatre and film, and later co-founded a prop making studio and then a scenic painting studio in London with Christina Nash in London. Our clients included the BBC, Channel 4, Euro Disney, The Really Useful Company, Madame Tussauds, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, English National Opera, the London Coliseum, and the Royal Opera House, as well as many West End and UK theatres. My work also took me abroad, painting for Cannon Films in Israel and creating prop costumes at Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels.
On returning to London, I started my teaching career, as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD) teaching Scenic Art and Design Interpretation and as Scenic Art tutor at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). I also taught at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design Summer School and was the art tutor on Simply Travels painting holidays in Türkiye.
Alongside this I have continued to develop my own work as a fine artist, undertaking commissions and exhibiting in mixed shows in various galleries in London, Northern England, Scotland and Bodrum.
My Background
I began my artistic journey very early, always knowing I wanted to spend my life being creative. I’ve been fortunate to turn that passion into a career that has embraced painting, designing, teaching and working for the entertainment industry. I’ve lived my dream – earning my living through painting while developing as a fine artist in my own right.
My love of large-scale work started when I studied mural painting at Glasgow School of Art. After completing my four-year degree at 20, I was awarded, along with Bob Jessamine, a Scottish Arts Council award to paint sixteen murals in my hometown of Glasgow. Mural painting naturally led me into painting for the stage and after a further study in Theatre Design at Croydon College of Art I went on to work as a fulltime set designer.
Ultimately, nothing fulfilled me as deeply as painting itself. I became a scenic artist, painting scenery for theatre and film, and later co-founded a prop making studio and then a scenic painting studio in London with Christina Nash in London. Our clients included the BBC, Channel 4, Euro Disney, The Really Useful Company, Madame Tussauds, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, English National Opera, the London Coliseum, and the Royal Opera House, as well as many West End and UK theatres. My work also took me abroad, painting for Cannon Films in Israel and creating prop costumes at Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels.
On returning to London, I started my teaching career, as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD) teaching Scenic Art and Design Interpretation and as Scenic Art tutor at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). I also taught at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design Summer School and was the art tutor on Simply Travels painting holidays in Türkiye.
Alongside this I have continued to develop my own work as a fine artist, undertaking commissions and exhibiting in mixed shows in various galleries in London, Northern England, Scotland and Bodrum.
Bodrum Art Collective
Bodrum has long been a place where artists and creatives feel at home. Once a small fishing village this beautiful Aegean port has grown into an international holiday destination with a rich cultural life full of gallery’s, museums and ancient sites.
Four years ago, we formed the Bodrum Art Collective, a multinational group of six artists living on the Bodrum peninsula. Our aim was to inspire and support one another, which we do. We meet regularly to share ideas, motivate each other, while also exhibiting as a group and visiting shows to connect with the wider art community.
The group includes Ali Haji, Johanna Den Dunnen, Annie Onursan, Sarah Carter, Elaine Boylan and me.
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