INSIGHTI’m not sure if I should call myself
a hobby artist or a professional; I paint
because I feel compelled to. I never do
it to while away my time; or in order
to have an income. I sell my paintings,
but I also give them away to those who
love them for what they are.
I have used graphite pencils,
charcoal, watercolours, pen and ink,
water soluble coloured pencils, acrylics,
soft pastels and oils. I have done mixed
media paintings using mulberry papers,
acrylic inks and paints, everything I can
think of – and then pastels! I really love
working with soft pastels; the softer the
better. My favourites are Schmincke ...
when I use them they are like painting
with butter and I’ve yet to find any
others that can compare. I like Ingres
and Arches papers.
I love to paint seas, skies, fields and
trees. The restless breathing of waves
and the tides; the continuous ebb and
flow of the scudding clouds that create
magical figures and cast shadows
on the land; the aromatic fields of
wildflowers and wheat which dance to
the wind that blows. The fascinating
textures and shapes of trees.
My work is widely exhibited,
although I don’t participate in art
shows or competitions. I find the ‘mine
are better than those’ attitude very
offensive. I paint because I want to;
for me, trying to compete is futile and
self-defeating. ‘In the Gallery’ is a Dire
Straits music track which I think every
artist should heed.
The beautiful countryside is a major
source of my artistic inspiration. There
are also some places in this world
which have made me catch my breath
in wonder. My painting ‘Tranquillity
for Now’ is a personal favourite. Itis a seascape of the dunes in front of
our beach cottage at Whitesands. I felt
compelled to paint the rosy pink sky
overhung with soft blue that lasted
for a few precious minutes; and the
sea which became calm and peaceful.
The pale blue reflection of the sky
capped with snowy wavelets at low
tide; and the dunes when they, in turn,
blushed pink and felt cool underfoot.
Everywhere there was a hush as night
started to close in.
I believe that painting mishaps
are meant to happen. One really bad
occasion was when I decided to paint
a field of flowering red poppies. I
chose a green ground, hoping the
complementary colour of the poppies
would make it striking. I could not
have been more wrong. It created a
dark and gloomy mood; impossible
to lighten. I became involved with