Watercolour Portrait Artist | Born 1981 | Higher Diploma in Art & Design, 1999 | Business Est. 2017
After receiving a National Diploma in Art & Design at Leeds Arts University in 1999, I embarked on a highly successful 15 year career in advertising….though my love for art continued throughout.
In 2017, I took a leap from an award winning marketing business I owned, to embark on a full time career as an artist. My main objective was to build a lifestyle I dreamt of where I could easily balance Motherhood & working. My husband and I experienced two baby losses in January 2018 & March 2019, during which my art took a turn from abstract painting to delicate, memorable watercolours of baby scans based on our babies. Ultrasound art is & always will be an art which I deeply connect with & enjoy. Yet, I knew as an artist I had more to give….much more I wanted to express.
After becoming a Mama to Bertie in the height of a Global Pandemic, July 2020, I felt euphoria like never before & started painting other Mums, pregnant ladies & families. This felt right. In 2022 I attended a Baby Shower where I offered to paint the host & some of her guests. This was the start of where I am today.
I love to paint guests live at parties & weddings. Watching the happiness & love between you all means I can capture the energy in the paintings. My favourite type of portrait for sure is pregnant women at Baby Showers because I always capture their unborn baby & draw them within their bump; it looks magical!
I also create digital illustrations on my iPad, but I feel we are in such a digitally demanding world, the freshness & purity of dipping a paintbrush into water & placing paint on paper is much more enchanting; both for me to create & for you to watch & take home with you. I will however, always offer these as they are in demand!
My style of painting doesn’t capture the finer detail, but rather expresses the beauty I see in a fluid approach. When painting guest portraits, I tend to focus on the clothing & the colours surrounding the individuals (almost like I see their auras), rather than their faces. I alway finish a painting with watercolour splashes or abstract shapes around the portrait; it’s just my thing!
Some hosts also request their portraits in a larger A4 format with detail. A example of which is below; I simply paint their faces in detail. I adore creating these & do so in my home studio, usually late at night when my baby is sleeping soundly & I am relaxing with a honey & lemon tea & relaxing music.
I am open & happy to share my daily lifestyle, so if you want to get to know me a bit more, follow me on Instagram & set to gain notifications so you don’t miss a day!