To elaborate slightly - after working as an interior designer until the last recession - I took the sensible step to hone my skills as a painter. Life had got in the way and is too short not to.
Belfast art college in York Street was such an ugly looking place in the 1990s and I marvelled at how I loved going into this hideous building everyday, how it could possibly be such a hive of artistic creativity, but I was hooked. I felt my heart swell each time I went through those doors at the promise of new experimentation and mentoring. Painting is my truest longest love. Moments of beauty in life are my inspiration. Subject matter combined with light effects create the atmosphere in my work. Whether I'm using pastels or oil paints, the aim is an inhalation of happiness and serenity, light mixed with joyful memory. Oils and pastels possess many interchangeable qualities due to their vibrancy and saturation of colour. I am influenced greatly by the Impressionists and I have found a natural affinity with palette knives as I paint loosely, adding the details I want and letting the mind of the viewer continue the story themselves. I love how the knives emphasise so strongly the textures of paint and the power of the painting process. Pastels are a joy for their creaminess and colour intensity.
I regularly teach drawing and painting techniques to adult students in art clubs and evening classes and I am available to do demonstrations of oil painting using palette knives or soft pastels.
I am honoured to be a Past President of the Ulster Society of Women Artists (elected 2018), an organisation that celebrates the many talented women artists in Northern Ireland. I enjoyed my two years in office very much. During my time as President, I was keen to modernise the society's website and encourage new membership as well as, with the dedicated work of the Council, put on great exhibitions.