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I've been painting in watercolour for about twenty years now. It's a medium that fascinates me with its translucency and ability to depict light along with its propensity to move and settle in unexpected ways that often delight. Watercolour painting is a struggle for who gains control, the artist or the medium. I am gradually realising that the best work is generated when the medium wins!

I live and work in Nottinghamshire. After completing a languages degree at UEA, and a PGCE at Southampton University, I taught French for several years and then my time was largely taken up by the demands of a growing family. In 1991 I was able to take up again a lifelong interest in painting and drawing, largely neglected since my 'A' level Art course at school.

I first benefited from the tutelage of well known and respected Nottingham artist Sue Sareen whose watercolour classes I attended. I greatly benefited from Sue's loose and confident style, particularly in flower painting.

I then spent several years making my own greetings cards and displaying and selling paintings and cards at Craft Fairs. This provided huge scope for practising the different techniques of watercolour and learning about colour and tone, as the work was intensive. At the same time I was reading widely and learning about other artists' styles and work while developing my own.

My work was noticed by one or two commercial concerns and I thereby had work commissioned to decorate china mugs by Rose of England in Stoke on Trent, and for greetings cards by Camden Graphics. I have regularly exhibited and sold at Patchings Art Centre in their Annual Painting Award exhibition and have mounted two solo exhibitions in 2002 and 2003, the year I was offered full membership of the Society of Floral Painters.

I exhibit regularly at the SFP's exhibitions, as well as exhibiting and demonstrating at the Patchings Art, Craft and Design Festival every year on June, where I enjoy meeting so many enthusiastic painters and art club members.

From January 2006 to January 2008 I worked as an adult education watercolour tutor. For the last few years I have been demonstrating and running day workshops for art societies and holding regular workshops in my studio at home in West Bridgford, Nottingham. In 2011 I am organising two residential watercolour painting courses in Cromford, Derbyshire (see Events for details).

I have had several articles published in Leisure Painter and my first book "Flowers in the Landscape" was published by Search Press in November 2009.

Since 2009 I have received regular commissions to design greetings cards for Medici Cards.

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