About
As a student at Durham University, studying English in my late teens, I was introduced to many nature poets. In particular, the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and his stunning poem ‘The Windhover’, stood out from me and a certain section has remained with me ever since: ‘My heart in hiding / Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!’
Each time I see a kestrel stippling the wind above me, or happen upon a heron skulking by the water, or find myself suddenly surrounded by a charm of goldfinches, I find my heart stirred by birds, as if something within me has an answering wish to fly and soar. When I began my journey as an artist, in 2017, the spirit of this quickly began to enter my work.
Elemental Art
To observe Nature is to observe the elements - and the wild lives within them. I am struck by the way that birds and mammals emerge from and disappear into sky, hedgerow, woodland and water. They are around us everywhere, quiet lives going on all the time, yet we only see them in glimpses.
As an artist, I enjoy the way that I can subvert this, and work a little alchemy.
I can capture a fleeting moment in time and space, bringing together all the shifting elements of a wildlife encounter. In doing so, I get to invoke both the spirit and presence of wild creatures in wild spaces.
Watercolour quickly became my medium of choice because it has its own wildness. The element of water, when brought together with the pigment in paint, moves on the paper in ways that cannot be fully controlled.
There is a freedom and unpredictability to this. As an artist, I feel as if watercolour constantly invites me to respond to the unexpected, to make room for spontaneity, and to allow a painting to grow intuitively.
Something about this process mirrors Nature itself: always changing, unpredictable, responsive and alive.
The Medium of Watercolour
As my art is inspired by wildlife and seeks to honour the creatures around us, then it makes sense to me that the materials I use must also reflect that care. Since 2021 I have been sourcing vegan and environmentally responsible art supplies wherever possible — paints brushes, and paper. Recently, I have also begun experimenting with plant-based acrylics, and I look forward to seeing how they may weave into future work.
This is not always the easiest path, but it feels the truest one: to attempt to create art that celebrates the natural world without compromising it.
Vegan Art Materials
Exhibitions
My work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Cumbria and beyond. Highlights include:
Current
Exploration, Brantwood, Coniston - April 2026
Upcoming
The Brilliance of Birds, Rheged, Penrith - June-October 2026
Recent
Cumbria Local Arts Exhibition - April 2026
Harrogate Art Fair - March 2026
Affordable Art Fair, Green Door Artists — November 2025
Ambleside Art Society Annual Exhibition — October 2025
Wild of Wing — Solo Exhibition, Brantwood House, Coniston (2025)
All At Sea, Upfront Gallery, Penrith (2025)
Green Door Artists 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Kendal (2025)
Wilder Lakes Exhibition, National Trust Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead (2024) — group exhibition with textile artist Jane Exley and oil painter Joy Grindrod, exploring the wild side of the Lake District
Art For Conservation
There is both fragility in the natural world around us, and exquisite, precious beauty. I don’t think any of us want to see this being chipped away in our time, and yet this is happening.
Even here, in the Lake District where I live — a National Park and World Heritage Site — habitats are being degraded, and animals, birds, and insects all show signs of struggle.
Can a painting change this? I don’t know. But I am willing to try.
Every time I tune into a bird, animal, or insect to paint it, I find myself drawn into the wonder of it. The resulting painting feels like a prayer, a blessing. It is my hope that each work helps to keep this wild, beautiful world at the forefront of our minds, rather than in the background.