I have a travelling studio – an easel, set of pastels and a flask of coffee and I’m happy. I’ll draw in an open field or warm cosy studio but love the bustle of people and the conversations they bring. I’ve enjoyed working at local events with my work displayed and working on a recent commission whilst people potter and chat. I’m well known for portraits of people’s pets, for me, it’s all about capturing a personality, creating something that looks real. With everything I paint I want the viewer to feel they can walk in or my subject is just about to jump out!
I studied illustration at Falmouth College of Arts and started working as an illustrator 30 years ago. It has now developed into a range of commission-based work, recently including beautiful family homes, prize winning cattle and pets and family pastel portraits. I regularly demonstrate my pastel painting at Art Groups and have also been invited to be Artist in Residence at local Events and Shows. I was invited to work alongside The Kings Troop, where I created artwork and studies of the beautiful horses and ‘behind the scenes’ studies. My work has been exhibited in Dorset and London and generous collectors mean that my work hangs in homes worldwide.
I have two styles one lending itself to the details required for animal portraits and one looser for the seascapes that I enjoy capturing. My popular pastel classes developed from peoples interest in the way I worked, what started as a small group has grown into a regular class and, more recently, online workshops and live demonstrations. My love of the sea and sailing has inspired seascapes which Unison pastel are perfect for. I’ve developed a way of working where I create a painting, liquifying the pastels with alcohol to create a surface to layer pastels on top of. You can see how these develop on my Youtube Channel.
One pleasure of the Unison Colour Soft Pastelling Community is never quite knowing what will appear next. A quiet landscape may sit beside a bright floral, a first pastel beside an established artist’s work, and a technical question may become a conversation between people across the world.
Life can force you to take time out in unexpected ways. I took a tumble in March, a simple fall on my patio, broke my leg and needed an operation to fix it...
Like most of us, these last few months have meant lots of changes to the way I work. One of my unexpected confessions is that I am now a big fan of Online Art Teaching! Of course, I love the bustle of a traditional art class and you can’t beat a natter over lunch but…
I’ve found the best advice is to keep it simple. I am lucky enough to live in Dorset which is full of inspirational views. There are so many views and places that it can often be overwhelming.
I really loved working with you all on our Old Harry Rocks Five Day Pastel Challenge last year. I thought that you might be interested in hearing how it came about and the work behind it.
Back in November, I had a call from Unison Helen. “Would you be happy to go to Jackson’s Art HQ and talk about our pastels?” she asked. My answer was a resounding, “Yes, of course!”.
