I was born in South East London in 1951 and moved with my family to Cheltenham in 1960. After completion of my studies in art and education at LSU Southampton, I worked as a primary school teacher. My role included the coordination of Art in the curriculum at schools in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Swindon and latterly, again in Cheltenham, at St Thomas More School.

My art, my family and my faith are the fabric and texture of my life – inextricably woven. And in recent years I have been able to focus on my art, fulfilling a life-long ambition.

I have been a member of the Wilton Art Group since 1997, exhibiting with them and other groups. I have held solo exhibitions through Cheltenham Open Studios and local art galleries.

I am proud that my work is held in private collections in the UK, Europe and America.

I have a passion for collage which suits the organic nature of my way of working, I use the juxtaposition of images as a way of communicating my emotional response to places and objects. This method was born out of a keen sense of the surreal, a constant feature during my early studies with Salvador Dali and the psychiatrist Carl Jung as crucial influences.

Inspiration might come from a building or ruin – something that sparks a sense of discovery. I am fascinated by old buildings – imbued with history and a feeling of what has gone ’before’. They can sometimes elicit an overwhelming emotional response that feeds and generates my creative expression. The unusual beauty of things that are falling down or in decay can speak deeply of the joy that has passed, the anticipation of resurrection and regeneration.

In my experimental approach, I create highly personal images that capture the sense of time and place which grows naturally out of my view and experience. These images of things that have their own reality and message in their own time, resonate with our lived experience and feeling of the ‘here and now’. Fragments, strangely familiar, can appear like magical mirrors where we glimpse our own future, representing the ethereal, fleeting moments in our lives.

In recent years I have been able to travel to more exotic locations, Myanmar, India, The Holy Land and several times to Kenya. These experiences have broadened my awareness of heat, light and wide horizons, enabling me to see from a new perspective.

Working with other artists, whilst attending courses at St Ives and Newlyn Schools of Painting, has helped me to extend my evolutionary approach to the artistic process.

I am particularly keen to ensure that my work is accessible and shared as widely as possible, through the innovative use of social media and the publication of giclee, limited edition prints.