I live in a little village called Beulah, underneath the Epynt. The memories of my childhood farm combine with living in this very beautiful rural area to give me the inspiration I need to paint.

I love the rolling hills, the ever changing weather, the beautiful bright sky which can turn so quickly into a thunderous slate grey, and then can change the colours of the Epynt itself from calm greeny blue to deep, all-consuming purple, while shafts of bright light creep over the horizon as the sun tries to shine through, transforming the landscape into a patchwork of orange, red, purple, dark blue and green.

How can one not fail to be inspired when one lives so close to nature’s paint box?

I have been told I have a great ability to adapt to all the mediums that I use, which include watercolour, acrylic, oils and pastels. I really enjoy watercolour as it’s a temperamental medium. I use a lot of water and push it around the paper until I get the effect or atmospheric feeling I want. I love acrylics, too. There is nothing I enjoy more than using a palette knife to paint with, to build up a picture in texture, as I am a very tactile person,

Background

I was brought up and educated in Pontardawe, near Swansea. As a child I spent most of my time with my grandparents on their farm. These were happy times: looking after the animals, collecting wild mushrooms with my grandmother, walking the fields with my grandfather, and being more of a hindrance than a help at harvest.

I went to Cwmtawe Secondary School, where I had an inspiring teacher called Mr Griffiths who encouraged me and helped me enormously. We kept all my work and built up a portfolio. Armed with this, and with his enormous faith in me, I passed an entrance examination for the Swansea College of Art where I studied fashion and design.

After many years’ absence from my beloved painting, while bringing up two beautiful children, the desire I feel to paint, and my passion for painting, have become so strong that I have a physical ache inside me if I am not painting.

The story to date

I had my first exhibition in April 2006 at A-Frame Gallery in Brecon, selling ten original paintings on the first night alone.
My second exhibition was in August 2006 at the Brecon Beacons National Parks. This was followed by exhibitions at Wood’n’things Gallery in Llanidloes and The Bledffa Arts Centre.

My work can be seen at A-Frame Gallery in Brecon, Wood’n’things Gallery in Llanidloes, Three Cocks Hotel in Brecon and the Llanwrtyd Wells Tourist Information Centre.