About

It's 1996 and I am pondering whether I should have gone to art school instead of studying English. And just how had I ended up working in payroll..?!

2006: after twenty years spent ignoring the artistic urge, it started to make itself heard again, and this time I listened. There followed several years of life drawing and painting the static human form, which is a great way to hone skills, but I realised I lacked a passion for flesh!
A life-long budgie-owner and bird lover, it was via my own pets that I found a way to express my love of colour in nature. Flesh gave way to feathers and Budgerigardener took flight.

My artwork portrays pet birds, parrots and tropical birds in colour and detail. Oils are my preferred medium for building up real depth of tone with a painterly approach, but I also find acrylics useful for small, detailed works and my occasional designs in a more graphic style.

Budgies are colourful, playful creatures, their infinite variety invites a range of styles and painting techniques to capture their characters, colours and markings. I had always felt that my favourite birds were under-served in fine art, and ill-served by popular culture in general. My aim is to afford them the same reverence afforded to other pets and wildlife, whilst also researching and exploring ways to portray the many other birds that inspire me.

2021 - I moved from Brighton, Sussex, my home of thirty years, to return to Suffolk where I grew up. I now have a garden studio at my home in Ipswich: a great new space for painting and hosting open studio events. There is a vibrant art scene throughout the county, and I look forward to finding more opportunities to exhibit locally.