My current muse? A chocolate peppermint plant on my kitchen windowsill. Its sweet scent, reminiscent of After Eight Mints, has sparked a new collection of paintings – the Mint Collection – a deeply personal exploration of sentimental objects and the stories they hold. The first paintings in the collection launch this month and are an invitation into my world, a glimpse into the significance of everyday items, and a celebration of memories.

A flourishing tale for art enthusiasts and plant lovers alike! I want to share a story about the unexpected turn my latest collection, Bottle & Branch, has taken. It all began with a simple idea: capturing the beauty of found branches through art. But as the project unfolded, nature added its creative twist, blurring the lines between artistic inspiration and botanical experiment.

In fine art, inspiration often strikes in unexpected places, weaving its way into our creative endeavours and shaping the essence of our work. The seeds of inspiration for my latest collection, Bottle & Branch, have emerged from three key influences: brushes, clarity and folk art. The developing collection is a still-life exploration into glass bottles, branches, pattern design and the pursuit of simplicity.

The cheerful supermarket kalanchoes plant (commonly known as a Flaming Katy) and a hand made ceramic pot, dotted in circular buttons, are the star of a brand new botanical painting collection. The collection takes a deep dive into composition, surface pattern and a personal connection with favourite colours and how they work in harmony.

The Homespun Girls are a collection of paper collage portraits constructed from recycled paintings, remnants of clothes patterns and collected colourful envelopes. Each girl has a name inspired by female American names of the 1930’s - 60’s. They are names that remind me of my fleeting yet impactful time living in the American Midwest in the early 80s.

Differences are a key ingredient to finding joy and making life feel rich and full. Covid times made differences feel elusive. In the chinks of freedom in between those trying times a road trip to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, for crab brioche sandwiches, opened a whole new view and sparked a candy coloured abstract landscape collection.