My introduction to calling myself a painter came about through entering a couple of competitions and then being shortlisted for a prize and then represented by The Cadogan Contemporary gallery in South Kensington.
Over the next five years in London, I increasingly focused on my work, trading day jobs for more studio time, and more exhibitions. During this time I met my now husband of 20+ years. This brought me to Chicago and then Vermont.
We lived in Chicago for five years, during which time I worked for Golden Artist Colors and was represented by Belloc Lowndes Fine Art. We then moved to Vermont in 2006.
In Vermont, I focused on being a mother as our family grew. After being joined by a dog and two children, we eventually landed in Stowe in 2015. Since then, I have returned to the studio where I have found reconnecting to my visual work both rewarding and surprising.
About
Where I’m from…
I was born in Plymouth, England. I grew up in Salcombe, a small town in Devon on England’s southwest coast.
The landscape there, and my family’s ties to traditional boatbuilding and seafaring, has been forever imprinted on me. It continues to influence my work.
Map designed by Melissa Price
From a one year Foundation in Art at Plymouth College of Art and Design, I went onto a three year degree in Graphic Design at Norwich School of Art and Design, where I specialized in Illustration. The landscape in Norfolk was very flat - quite different from the area I grew up in. It became apparent that I didn’t think like a designer and I was never happy with my drawing. I naturally gravitated towards colour and texture. I fraternized with mostly designers and painters and sought inspiration from the fine art world, fiction and music.
I continued to draw on my connection to my sense of place when I went to the Royal College of Art in London, where I earned a Masters in Illustration. London was pretty overwhelming for me. At some point listening to BBC Radio 4 became a constant. The Area Forecast from the Shipping News was my final show focus.
Artist Statement
As long as I can remember I have been calmed by looking at the horizon.
I will always be engaged by the meeting of the sea and the beach. This applies wherever there is a stretch of water.
Closeup, my connection is to the beauty in the sometimes overlooked; worn and weathered surfaces. I’m drawn to abstracting layers of paint on boats, walls, at my feet, oxidized metal, a leaking ceiling.
The tactile process of sanding, cropping and securing these mostly paper elements is a constant source of engagement.
My sense of place has been strongly influenced by where I grew up, in Salcombe in Devon on the South West coast in England. It’s a beautiful place that attracts many visitors, with a rich tradition of boat building and crab and lobster fishing.