The aroma of a freshly brewed coffee mingles with the chirping chorus of birds in a sun-kissed Algarve cafe. These feathered bandits are fearless, snatching crumbs from unsuspecting patrons. While my usual holiday sketches depict botanical illustrations or lovely landscapes, this Portuguese trip ignited a new passion for bird drawings: capturing the playful spirit of these cheeky creatures.

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.

Acrylics are more than just paint; they're a medium with limitless artistic possibilities. For a mixed media artist like myself, this versatile medium is at the heart of my creative practice. Their appeal goes beyond compelling colours and into the realms of joyful exploration, for this malleable substance can be manipulated in myriad ways. 

Finding inspiration can feel daunting as winter blues linger and the world outside turns grey. But fear not, creative thinker, dive into a visual feast from the comfort of your own home with these 9 stunning art books. From gorgeous illustrations to captivating photography, these tomes will ignite your creative fire, fuel your artistic journey, and be the perfect eye-feasting experience.

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.

As the second anniversary of my role as Gallery Manager at Emerald Frames & Gallery approaches, I'm sharing a collection of favourite exhibition photos from 2023. During the past two years, I've curated 22 exhibitions; an immense achievement. Join me on a visual journey through captivating displays and discover the artistry that has filled our gallery walls with beauty and inspiration.

Botanical paintings are a super way to bring the beauty of nature into your home decor. They can add a touch of elegance, sophistication, and tranquility to any room. From original paintings to fine art prints there’s a multitude of styles and subjects to suit every taste and budget. And one of the best ways to display your botanical paintings is to create a gallery wall.

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.

A mother and daughter's shared love of art comes to fruition in a joint exhibition. The two fine artists, who practice mixed media art making with a penchant for plants, have unique painting styles, however their work is united by a touch of the familiar. The October exhibition, at Emerald Gallery, explores the power of family ties and the creative bond between mothers and daughters.

As a contemporary fine artist, I am constantly looking for new ways to inspire my work. A favourite sources of inspiration is nature. The beauty and diversity of the natural world can be a powerful source of creativity. Spending time in nature helps open my mind to new ideas, unexpected colour palettes and has the added advantage of encouraging positive mental wellbeing.

A real delight about visiting family in Portugal is the ability to regularly spend time at a favourite beach bar, sipping coffee, people watching and drawing what I see. This time it was the human forms of the bathing beauties that caught my eye and to my surprise I gained a new found confidence in life drawing. In three short days I saw my sketches improve, here’s how I did it...

Bubblegum pink, lichen, racing green and a touch of azure blue is the delicious colour recipe for a collection of show-stopping florals. They are a series of contemporary fine art paintings inspired by my own rose garden. The story of how they came to be is full of personal connection and the journey one painting took, to find its home in a new kitchen extension, is one of inspiration and commitment.

At the end of the Metropolitan Line, tucked within Amersham’s leafy neighbourhoods, I create BRIGHT contemporary fine artist from my garage studio. Surrounded by the abundant beauty of the Chilterns, I can often be found, sketchbook in hand, roaming the fields and Memorial Gardens of the Old Town. However my journey to full-time artist has taken a few creative loops and turns.

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.

Fine artists learn best through play and being free to experiment and explore is how to move forward. It’s in the unguarded moments of working with a new material and making random marks that discoveries are made. There’s a good reason artists refer to their work as a practice, because that’s exactly what they’re doing.

Taking a sketchbook for a walk outside is a marvellous way to record details of the world around you.  Feeling the forms of a view through your fingertips, as the pencil moves across a page, gives a richer understanding of what you see.  As a practicing fine artist this is why I’ve always got a couple of Moleskine’s on the go.

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.

In my experience a good fine art collection is generally created out of sheer determination and hours of playing with paint. But in order to get to that bit something has to happen first. A vital spark. The trigger that sets the wheels of inspiration in motion. Finding that spark is something I love, especially when it comes from a single sketchbook drawing.

Just to be clear, lilac is not my favourite colour. In fact it’s way down my list of not favourite colours. However, being a fine artist who loves colour, I enjoy collecting them. Taking photos that catch my eye is like creating a mobile Pantone colour chart on my phone. Lilac accents keep popping and I’m not entirely sure why?

Ever since I was little road trips have been a time for drawing and colouring in. In recent years I’ve taken this literally and used car passenger time for filling my Moleskine sketchbooks with views of the motorway. As a mixed media landscape artist it provides an opportunity to practice eye feasting and quick response drawing as views zoom by.