I was born and raised in Zimbabwe, living most of my life there until going to the UK where I spent nearly 15 years on and off!
I made the move to Portugal with my little Jack Russell, Arnie, in the winter of 2014 and having explored a few areas, now live on the outskirts of a small village in the Silves Municipality surrounded by open countryside.
I started out in art in 1997 when I undertook evening classes in oil painting. I loved this creative release from my stressful full-time IT work! Inevitably, this lead me to further studies and exploration with a variety of mediums. I now work primarily in acrylics and pastels, and hold a Diploma in Painting & Drawing from the London College of Art and also studied Pet Portraiture with them.
I have always had a love of nature and animals, preferring to spend my time outdoors. My passion for nature, especially animals in their natural environment, only increased when starting to paint and over the years my art has evolved to focus on this. My art is inspired by the way it connects me with nature and the environment around me. The light, sounds, colours and textures.
Through art, I can ground myself, and the process involved in creating art work has become an important part of who I am. When I’m painting, or drawing, I feel a very close connection to our natural world – a sense of being at one with the world. Through my art, I aim to share these enriching experiences and my passion for the wild world with others. To capture a moment in time and make the observer feel as if they were there.
I am part of several Algarve art groups as well as re-kindling my membership of Association of Animal Artists, and The Wildlife Artist Society International. I am now working towards becoming a Signature member of the Artists for conservation during 2023.
I spend a lot of my time taking photos with which to work with, travelling the world to find and engage with all the different animals. The majority of my work is created from my own photos or “en plein air” but where other photos are used, their creators are attributed.
I’m excited to now be exhibiting again after such a long break from this, both in Portugal and the UK.
