
I am an artist living and working in the English Lake District, where I get much of my inspiration for landscape painting. Many years ago I went to Art College in the North East of England, learning painting techniques, particularly working in oils. It was after moving to the Lakes and starting work for Derwent that I discovered a love of coloured pencil drawing.
I am the current President of the UK Coloured Pencil Society and am also a Silver Signature member, having exhibited in many of their exhibitions.
As a passionate supporter of coloured pencils and cp art, my aim is to promote the recognition of coloured pencils as a fine art medium. Along with my colleagues in the UKCPS, I work hard to promote and support the work of other coloured pencil artists.
I’ve always had my own cats and/or dogs and honed my drawing skills on my own pets over the years. It was when other people started noticing my drawings that they asked me if I could draw their pets too. Having given away many portraits to friends and family, I started taking commissions from people who wanted a drawing of their pet. In addition to pet portraits, I now draw various subjects, including landscapes, still life and people!
If I could give one piece of advice to people who want to photograph their pet for portrait work it would be to take lots of photos of the subject from different angles to get to know their features and expressions – but make sure you are down at the same level as the pet to get really good close ups.
