Orange Trees, Blue Sea Painting

I have spent most of my life living between the sea and the South Downs in Sussex, England. My home town is close to the diverse city of Brighton which is where I spent my teenage years, enjoying the alternative scene of the 1980s. From there I studied Art and Dance at the Roehampton Institute of Higher Education, where I found inspiration from the Expressionists of the early 20th century, in both my art and choreography. After leaving college I trained as a primary teacher and taught in Early Years for over 30 years. I found immense joy fostering creativity in young children, being in awe of their independent thinking, storytelling and making. Since retiring from teaching I have spent my time representing the natural world and my reaction to it, through drawing and painting. I am still excited by the work of the Expressionists and their use of colour and 'naive' form. My work is led either by the subject matter of the natural world, people or the physicality of movement in making. This has led to a varied and exciting body of work.