I have had a varied career, from farming soft fruit to teaching English at secondary level, but re-discovered my love of art a couple of years ago.

I am particularly drawn to wildlife and animal portraits, focusing on bringing character and life to each of my artworks. I offer pet portraits from clients’ photographs and it has been a joy seeing how people have reacted to my finished portrait of their cherished pet – it is such a lovely way to treasure such an important member of the family!

As an artist, my main objective is to capture the likeness and personality of the animal. A pastel portrait has a dynamic three-dimensional quality that far surpasses the static flatness of a photograph.

I particularly like placing the animal in a relevant setting, so backgrounds are a big aspect of what I enjoy pastelling. Don’t worry if you haven’t got the perfect shot of your pet in his favourite spot in the garden because different photos can be combined.

Discovering the softness of velour paper and its ability to take many layers of pastel, has transformed my understanding of this medium. I love the tactile nature of working with soft pastels and the way that, by rubbing each layer onto the paper, I almost ‘stroke’ the animal into life.

Combining my teaching skills with pastelling seemed an obvious route to take, so I now offer one-to-one or small group tutorials (half or full day). Pastels are a lovely medium to try out, either as a total beginner or practising artist. It has been a privilege to pass on the joy of pastelling to others!

If you would like to commission a portrait for yourself or as a unique gift for a loved one, or book a pastelling session, please follow the links.

Gift vouchers are available for portraits or tutorials.