Why I paint

I paint moments that make people think, “That’s us!” It might be an argument with your husband, a shared laugh, or standing freezing in the rain with your umbrella up. I love it when people see themselves in a painting and it brings a memory back to life.

I came to painting after my children had grown up and left home. I started oil painting classes as a complete beginner, and I loved learning. Seeing what I could make gave me a feeling of pride and excitement. This was my thing. After years of working as an actress, I was discovering a different way to tell stories, with the freedom to decide what I wanted to say.

There’s something about painting that keeps me curious. It feels like a conversation with the canvas. I make a mark, something changes, and I respond. Sometimes it works, sometimes I have to think again. There’s so much to discover that I honestly feel I could do it forever and never get bored.

What keeps drawing me back is people. Our expressions, our relationships, the way we behave when we’re together or caught in a moment of our own. Those ordinary things can hold so much feeling. Once a moment has passed, it becomes a memory, but a painting can bring something of it back into the room. You might smile, remember someone you love, or recognise an argument you’ve had yourself.

I didn’t begin painting knowing what it would give me. Along the way, I’ve discovered how much joy I have in me—more than I realised was there. It’s given me something of my own and a real excitement about what comes next.

That’s what I want to share through my work. Something you recognise, something you feel, and something you want to keep living with.