The Red Shoes Painting

Watercolour artist - Childhood and fantasy. I was born in 1975 in Romford in London borough of Havering. I’d sit in the front room of our maisonette and draw for hours - mainly ballet dancers, horses and anything else I was interested in. We moved to our first ‘proper’ house nearby when I was 9. We were very happy there, more space, a long garden and more importantly a room of my own. Unfortunately, after a year in our new home, mum died unexpectedly. Life changed dramatically and family life disintegrated. It was then that I stopped drawing and didn’t start again until I left school to study art and design at a local college. After completing this, I applied to the follow on course but was told that my work hadn’t made the grade. A few years later I started a career as a graphic designer and went as far as I could in my career. At age 30 after I’d lost my dad, I was travelling on the tube to work and thought “what am I doing this for?” I didn’t have an answer. I knew I wanted stop this career and be free to create my own art on my own terms. I went back to college full time to do illustration. It was here that I discovered the golden age book illustrators. I fell in love with these paintings and my work has been influenced by this style. Fast forward a few years and I’m currently living in rural South Oxfordshire where I draw in pencil and paint in watercolour. The theme is based around childhood and fantasy.