Into the Dark I
Acrylic on paper affixed to wood panel.
Framed dimensions: 51 x 9 x 2cm
Available as series of 8, not as individual paintings.
£1,000
Prompted by the 'Winter Folk' title of a group exhibition, I decided to make new work that leans into my emotional response to the long, dark months of Winter.
Into the Dark is an honest expression of how I feel in Winter. There's no sugar coating here - this is authentic and feels vulnerable - I'm showing a side of me I don't usually talk about or let come through in my paintings.
Winter's diminishing light and growing darkness make it difficult to keep my head above water - the dramatic reduction in sunlit hours sends me into a darker place in my mind, every year. Although I appreciate glittering frosts and love the snow, the lack of light and the damp, cold air get into my very bones.
Despite that, I love these paintings! The incremental cooling of the sun and those gnarly branches reaching in to obscure any residual warmth - they are the perfect visual metaphor for my mental shift in Winter.
The title, colour palette and joyful mood of this painting are taken from an inspired moment and and enthusiastic call to my wonderful partner, early one Summer morning. The low sun had filled the sky with ribbons of pinks, purples and blues, a few fluffy clouds drifting by, high above us, and the garden was lit to perfection and goldfinches bubbled their song in our rambling rose hedge - it really was the most spectacular dawn.
As I gazed at the sky in that moment, I couldn't quite believe my eyes, it was so beautiful.
With a mug of freshly brewed coffee in hand, I walked up the garden to my studio and immediately started to paint. Concentric circles came, as an expression of completeness and the ever-turning planet and seasons. Moments like these don't come often, but when they do, I want to capture them, encapsulate them, and celebrate their joy.
Abundance I
Acrylic on paper affixed to wood panel.
16 x 21cm
£135
Abundance - a feeling of plenty. As Summer moves towards Autumn, my garden is bursting with leaf-green life - flowers, fruits, vegetables and salad crops, ready to pick and take straight to the table - there's nothing better! Butterflies and insect life teeming, birds singing, children out playing in gardens, the sun warming us and feeding our souls. If ever there was a seasonal state of mind to celebrate in paint, it is this.
Gratitudes series
Each painting expresses a personal gratitude for an aspect of life that could so easily be overlooked. Acknowledging those little things that bring us joy, peace, or a positive mind helps underpin mental wellbeing. This series invites you to think about what you feel gratitude for in your own life.
My Gratitudes paintings are exactly that – small tokens of gratitude for aspects of my life I’m most grateful for.
Some time ago, I started writing three gratitudes in a notebook, in the evening before bed. I then started using it in my studio, as a way to centre myself and find a peaceful mind before painting. It occurred to me that gratitudes were things of quiet importance, and worth acknowledging and celebrating in paint.
So that’s what you can see here – Gratitudes for things we might take for granted, but without which we’d be lost.
I hope they connect with you and maybe prompt you to think about things you’d choose to celebrate too.
MIXED QUARTERS - BONBONS I - IV
Acrylic on paper affixed to wood panel.
15.3 x 15.3cm
£125 each or £450 for all four.
'MIxed Quarters' is what children of my generation called small, quarter pound bags of mixed candies we spent our pocket money on. I vividly recall the excitement and anticipation I felt on the way to my local sweet shop on Saturday mornings, clutching coins that could be transformed into chews, kayli (coloured stripes of sugar crystals) sherbet, liquorice, bonbons, and boiled sweets of every flavour. So many rows of glass jars filled with sweets! The whole experience was tantalising - even the paper bags that held my sugary bounty were candy striped!
When a memory of this, evoked by the song 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' brought back those sights, sounds, aromas and flavours, I just had to celebrate them in paint.
Candy Mountains, Kayli, and Bonbons
Each set of four paintings is made up of four squares containing quarter circles - beautiful individually, and designed so they can also be hung together to create a full circle.
I hope they evoke your nostalgic memories of childhood excitement - and make your mouth water.
Beginning
Acrylic painting on deep edge cradled board, on the theme of sunrise, dawning light, enlightenment and openness.
Dimensions - 50 x 50 x 4cm
£750
Beginning & Concluding were painted as a diptypch, though each stands strongly on its own. Initially wanting to paint ideas of day & night, these two paintings quickly took on a life of their own to represent concepts of the two ends of a journey - starting out, and finishing. The I Ching teaches us that within every ending is held the seed of a new beginning, represented here by the circle - a never ending line. Beginning is lighter in colour, fresh, anticipatory, and intentionally forward looking, while Concluding is more pensive and reflective in mood, biding its time until the new beginning comes along.
Shimmer
Acrylic on 400gsm Fabriano paper, affixed to wood panel, high gloss finish, in a white painted wood tray frame.
51cm x 9cm including frame.
£150
SOLD
Glimmers are subtle, often overlooked experiences that bring us a sense of peace, happiness, or connection. Glimmers activate our parasympathetic nervous system, helping us regulate our emotions, and improve our well-being.
My Glimmers paintings are intended to do exactly that - lift the mood, raise the spirits, and inject a little slice of joy into our daily lives.
All eight I Ching Trigram paintings in situ.
Inspiration for my paintings can come from anywhere. My interest in the I Ching started after a conversation with a very close friend and fellow Artist, who knew of my interest in ancient philosophies, so when she told me about Daoism, I was so intrigued that the following day, I disappeared down a rabbit hole of internet research. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon the I Ching – an ancient Chinese method of seeking spiritual and practical guidance.
I was so fascinated by its basis in the principles of change, and the interconnectedness of all things, that I knew instantly it was something I needed to start painting my responses to.
Fire Above, Water Below
Hexagram 64 of the I Ching - 'Nearing Completion'. Titled 'Fire Above, Water Below'. The final hexagram of the I Ching, this painting tells of the cyclical nature of life's journey - in every ending dwells the dormant seed of a new beginning, just waiting to grow.
Acrylic on deep edge cradled board, with a high gloss finish.
91.5 x 91.5 x 5cm
£1995
Energy, Energy, Synergy
Acrylic on wood panel.
32 x 32 x 2cm framed
Framed in a black wood tray frame.
£300
SOLD
My Clouds works a continuation of my I Ching series, so there are threads of I Ching influence in these paintings too. Clouds have fascinated me all my life – like most people, I can see faces, fantastical creatures, castles and patterns. But that’s not the only reason why they’ve become a recurring feature in so many of my paintings. In my research into Daoism and the I Ching, I read that clouds are considered in traditional Chinese thinking to be symbols of good luck, happiness, and auspiciousness.
I love the idea that something we in the West often see as a portent of doom - or at least unwelcome weather – can be reframed as quite the opposite. Clouds have become a symbol of that for me now.
Anything that challenges my thinking is grist for the creative mill – it keeps me alert to new ideas. That’s why clouds keep popping up in my paintings now. They’re reminders to explore new ground, think again – to turn an idea over in my mind like a pebble, see it from a different angle.