about

Hello! And thank you for visiting my website!

I’ve had a love of art since childhood, and though no formal qualifications, I have continued to draw and paint into adulthood. In the last couple of years I have found myself drawing more and more animals both wildlife and pets. I think I’ve been inspired by my surroundings. We live in beautiful countryside where there is an abundance of wooded walks and open fields with much wildlife. And on the left here, is Ruby,our Bengal who is one of our 2 cats.

a fine art portrait

A fine art portrait is made up of many many layers, and coloured pencils lend themselves beautifully to this, because with each layer more depth of colour is created, then along with blending and burnishing, the portrait comes to life. Realistic animal fur too, is created easily with the fine point of the pencil. When we think of a portrait, whether it be human or a pet, we generally think of a piece of art that resembles a photograph of the subject, and this is the style I work in.
At first I worked in a range of graphite pencils, enjoying the results from the many varieties there are of this medium. It was a natural progression to go onto coloured pencils. I only work with the best professional pencils; Faber Castell Polychromos, Caran D’ache Luminance, and Caran D’ache Pablos, and various Derwent pencils, which all have high lightfast qualities, meaning they won’t fade over time. The same goes for the paper / card stock I use, which is archival and acid free (acids can cause deterioration in an artwork). This allows for the longevity of a portrait.