I stumbled into art after a long illness with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which lasted 5 years. Thanks to the encouragement and support of my very close friend Lisa - the drawings I had done as a teenager then had ceased doing again surfaced. I had a deep love of horses and as a teenager was always drawing something equine. My parents had always encouraged me to appreciate art in all of its forms and to develop a passion for the world around us. Piles of old National Geographics were always there to enjoy and look at in my childhood.
To be honest I had no concept of actually how to go about creating an artwork which was truly representative of the subject I had chosen. Strange proportions and hours if not days of struggling with one part of the whole at times could be extremely frustration and yet I kept on practicing. I found one of the best references and sources was the Walter Foster series of art books on how to begin with a drawing. Over time I developed my skills, which so far has taken me on a journey of over 16 years. I'm still learning, still developing technique and style without trying to focus on just those things. I've ceased to worry about making mistakes, I found that was the biggest barrier to improving my art. So I stopped worrying about it. If it's not perfect that's okay. I just move on and learn from it.
I'll never be a Picaso or a Salvador Dali - two of my most favourite artists of all time. What I do know is that I just love our world and the animals that share it with us. So many of those wonderful animals and habitats we are now losing at a phenomenal rate.
I've learned something from different artists and appreciated their amazing works.
For almost three years I spent some time photographing the big cats at a zoo an hour's drive away from me. They've been my inspiration to care enough to contribute in some small way to bring awareness of just how vunerable our wildlife truly is. In 2010 I donated the artwork "The White King" to the UK registered charity Lion Aid to help bring awareness of the plight of the African Lion.
I'll continue my creative journey through this blog and in my art.
