My first memories of being interested in Art are the hours that i spent drawing in my bedroom when i was still at school. I would draw and paint for hours and this was the only thing i had any patience with. This still applies today!!!

My favourite medium to work with is watercolour. To me there is no other like it. You can get a real glow to a painting using watercolour washes.

Unfortunately I learnt practically nothing at school until my final year when i was 15. We were appointed a new teacher and in my opinion she was wonderful!!!!! She actually taught us how to paint and apply colour, something we had never been taught before. She demonstrated on our own work and from this point I was hooked! Thank you Miss Clarke, I will be eternally grateful.

It was around this time that I started attending my Uncles watercolour classes on a Sunday morning. He was a well known Lake District watercolour artist - T. Leslie Hawkes. It was he who recognised my eye for detail. To this day I still miss him.

After leaving Sixth Form College I did a foundation course at Carlisle College which gave me the qualification to get onto the course which i REALLY wanted to do which was Scientific and Technical Illustration at Blackpool and Fylde College of Art and Design. This course was brilliant and I loved every minute of it! I would love to go back tomorrow!!

I did various 'Arty' things after leaving college and then moved back home , married and had a family. I got a part time job teaching watercolours at the local college. This I have been doing for about 18 yrs now and I love it. My students are like an extended family.

I love to paint most things - whatever catches my eye at that moment in time. But my absolute passion are Barn Owls. When you see one in the wild it takes your breath away. They are so regal. I would paint them all day and everyday if I could.

Anyway thats enough about me.... hope you enjoy looking at my galleries.

JeanI