I paint wildlife, but what I’m really capturing is happiness - yours and mine!
In all my years of experience with creating art, I realise that people like to enrich their lives with something beautiful like art. Art that makes you smile, makes you happy, even makes your heart soar.
If I can do that…when I do that…oh, it feels so so good.
Why do I paint what I paint?
I paint animals in all sorts of exotic colours, but am careful to keep the eyes as realistic as possible. The soul of an animal, even for you and me, is seen through its eyes. You trust someone through their eyes. The first thing that I seek when I meet a person for the first time is whether I can trust them.
Why animals? I have a huge love for the glorious animals of Africa and the UK. Growing up in Africa I was fortunate to see elephants and giraffes in the wild savannah when we drove through long dusty roads in Kenya, whether on our way to the coast or in National Parks. Hiking with my family in my later years, I have also grown to love the more gentler wildlife in the UK, the cow, the owl, the dog. I capture these animals going about their daily business, doing what they do (usually looking back at us, to see what we are doing).
Why colour? I get such pleasure in seeing the colours flow to create depth, shadows, expression. Lots of things influence the colours I choose. I love fiery sunsets, glowing embers of coal, blue cloudless skies. Sometimes the character of the animal just lends itself to certain colours, like my Sassy Sue painting of a young female elephant - impulsive and with a verve for life - reminds me of my beautiful friend Sue, always ‘in the pink’. My mood also influences the colours I chose - hmm…why do I always chose such fiery colours?!
I so so believe that art should spark joy, bring back happy memories and occasionally make you say “oh wow, that’s so so me.” (I use a lot of so so’s.)
Am I credible?
Yes I am, I’m credible, I’m reliable, I’m a good artist. I sell a lot of my work through the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and have been a partner artist with them for the past 10 years. And they are uber credible. Why David Shepherd, you may ask. Well, its a long story, you can read it here. I support with a passion their work in the conservation of the African elephant and the rhino. I have sold hundreds of paintings over the years through art galleries, art exhibitions and fairs, and extensively from people viewing my website. Three things you can do:
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When I was very young girl in Kenya I overheard my Dad talking to some friends, telling them how much I loved nature. Nature? I thought - what is nature? I wondered at that time how could he say I loved nature when I didn’t even know what it was?
The move to England all those years ago had a very personal effect on me. I missed my friends, but more than that I missed the wildness of Africa, the red earth, the sudden sunsets, the wonderful majestic elephants. I find my peace when I capture the spirit of its wildlife in the vivid colours of Africa. My Dad was so right.
But let’s get back.
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Even when young, I always like to be the centre of attention. I admits this freely, ha! I liked to be in charge of things, enjoyed playing with other children, having fun. This verve for life continued into my adulthood. I was brought up in a caring world where there was fun but also high expectations to do the right thing, to conform. My love of art was not considered a serious profession, even to me, and I kept it as a hobby. I was a scientist, technical, analytical, ambitious. I thought I was a free spirit, but actually I was more conventional than i’d expected.
You’ll see one of my paintings was inspired by a song that resonates with this. Court and Spark, by Joni Mitchell. I played the album, and particularly this song constantly throughout my university years. My daughter recently took me to a tribute band in London, they played this song and it brought back all those memories. This is a song about a woman who falls in love with a drifter, a free spirit who has removed all the worldliness from his life - a rambler, a gambler, a sweet-talking ladies man. She leaves him because she couldn’t let go of her conventional life in Los Angeles - the glitz, the money, the razzmatazz.
Choosing the conventional life has brought me much joy, cause things come round when they should - at the right time when you’re ready for it.
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So things came round when my children were born. We had a nanny but I grew more and more dissatisfied with someone else bringing up my children, holding their little hands, wiping their tears. So, I gave up my pharmaceutical career and became - what is now known as - a homemaker, and loved every minute of it. And am still loving every minute of it. But then I began to paint again.
In fact, I've always painted. Where most children have a cuddly blanket, I had my cuddly paints.
When I first started selling my work, I dreamed of creating artwork that truly made an impact on the memories of others. I try to capture my childhood memories of Kenya wildlife, and I love to see people enjoying the wonder of those most amazing animals through my paintings, remembering their holiday, their honeymoon, their time in Africa.
Who am I really?
Fun facts about me
Dear me, you probably need a bit of light relief now, life is too short for just the formal stuff. Some of my favourite things are:
a lovely stack of novels that I have yet to read - I do stroke them occasionally
a thick duvet with more blankets on top
young people, or people with young minds - both energise me
chicken noodle soup with hunks of soft bread (NOT sourdough)
bridge and golf are the new pastimes, with tennis always top!
dancing. Often alone. Always enthusiastically. Honestly, why did everyone stop dancing at parties?
So that’s me. A wildlife artist with a love for the quirkiness of animals, a slight obsession with colour and a secret belief that every good day ends with dancing in the kitchen.
Thanks for reading this — I hope you find something here that makes your heart dance too.
You may have other questions which you may find answers in my FAQs.