I always enjoyed Art at school but the demands of university, work and family just did not allow time for artistic pursuits.  On my retirement, in 2011, I recognised the importance of having new interests and goals in my life.  I started taking art lessons and joined Troon Art Club.  The lessons taught me about the techniques required and my involvement with the club has given me the opportunity to exhibit my work at the annual exhibition, learn from demonstrations by professional artists and make many new friends.

I experimented with all the different mediums and decided that oils were my favourite.  I loved the buttery texture, the workability, the richness and luminosity of the colours – I even liked the smell!  However, recently I have been enjoying using watercolours in my bird paintings.

I tend to paint realistically, and I always will to some extent, but my goal for the future is to create, rather than replicate. And just by realising that, I hope to open up new ideas and possibilities in my art.