I couldn't go to art school but I don't remember a time when I didn't have a pencil or paint brush in my hand.   I've been painting seriously for several years now and apart from a couple of summer schools at GSA, I suppose I'm self taught.   To date, I've sold over 150 paintings, recently many being commissions.    Over the last few years, I've been a finalist in the One Show Amateur artist of the year, been hung in RSA London, twice shortlisted for RSA Edinburgh and won the McFarlane prize at The Royal Glasgow Institute for Fine Arts.   Painting is my passion and I really believe has also been my saviour during difficult times, but I'm just a painter.  I'm not trying to change the world, or shock...although I have often been asked about my many stormy skies...am I trying to say that the storm will always pass?   Perhaps.   Or perhaps it's just because I live and work in Scotland, so get plenty of weather to practice on!     I mainly paint landscapes and my favourite inspiration is the Hebrides.  Particularly Lewis and Harris.  My mother's family were Lewis folks and my fathers Harris...although they moved to Oban.  So I guess that the connection and love of the place in genetic.  For me, there's nothing as awe inspiring as the landscape of Lewis and Harris and how a serene view can turn to menacing in seconds.   I paint to share my love of the Scottish landscapes...hopefully bringing back treasured memories, or inspiring those who haven't yet been to visit.  

I was born in Glasgow in 1956, to a family where all of the grandparents only spoke English rarely and Gaelic was the main language.    Our family circumstances made any kind of further education for me out of the question.  But although  working, I always painted and drew in my spare time. I joined the Glasgow Herald at about 22, and continued in the newspaper industry for many years, however, as my husband and I moved around the country, we found ourselves continually renovating and soon I was handling projects for friends and their friends so "accidentally" became an interior designer...good use of artistic skills.   But painting was always my thing, my passion,  and when I gave up work to look after my elderly parents full time, the painting became my escape and I started selling some, to friends, then friends of friends and I guess I accidentally managed to achieve my dream of actually being a working artist at long last!   I've attended two summer schools at GSA and they were wonderful.  Now I just paint as much as I can and have, to date, had three very successful  solo shows in my home town of Dunblane