It's a long way from there to here....

I am truly amazed on a daily basis on how I got from where I was to where I am today....and where I can ( hopefully ) get to in the future.

I can remember  sitting and painting and hoping a masterpiece would just appear on the paper. But what I saw in my mind just wouldn't happen in reality ..the colours would go all muddy and the whole thing would just be wrong. Over and over I would try and my hopes would begin high and fall as the painting didn't work how I imagined .I think all artists must go through this process and if you are trying my only advice is to keep going.

Here is an early painting of mine, and I think it's good to keep things from way back so if your having a bad day you can see how far you've come.

 I think several things happened that helped to transform my work. Firstly ( and there is no substitute for it) I kept going, I put in hours and hours of work and suddenly one day I remember a painting turned out on paper the way I imagined it......

It wasn't perfect but it looked ok. Important things had changed in me ( I think) I learnt to let myself go, I realised that paint can be magical and you can move it and shake it around and it will paint itself...

I found new subjects that suited my style and people began to notice what I was doing. I remember the first painting I ever sold and the excitement when a gallery rang me up and asked if they could show some of my work. I remember being accepted in an open competition and seeing my work in an exhibition for the first time.My arty dreams were coming true, I felt happy showing people my work. I am immensely grateful to the first person who actually bought a piece of my work.

I was asked if I had ever painted a hare and so my passion with painting animals began...it matched my style really well. I think as we progress as artists we need to be able to see new opportunities. I found a new joy in painting living things, animals and birds that move, jump fly...wow a whole new painting adventure...

I was equally humbled when asked to paint a treasured pet ,such a responsibility to get it right ( and believe me I don't always) , but when I do I am often very emotional and very happy.. to give joy through my work is something I could only dream of a few short years ago

So I continue to move forward but I still relish my successes and fret over my disasters. I still worry sometimes that I may never paint a decent painting again, but when I do a painting I am happy with I feel very privileged that I am here right now