Biography

I am a self-taught artist, living in a quiet seaside village on the Brittany coast in the west of France since 2022.

Before that, I spent 30 years in London, where I tried a wide range of mediums, from screen printing, watercolour, pastels and most significantly, intaglio printmaking.

Whilst living in Brittany, I reconnected with nature and became passionate about birds. A couple of crows used to land in my garden every morning and I became fascinated by their behaviour. They would argue, bicker, play and care for each other. Suddenly birds were no longer these feathery little creatures but they were almost human. They had personality and purpose.

Artistically, I realised that birds also had huge potential: the range of textures, colours and shapes seemingly infinite. I started using pastels to try and do justice to their rich colours but quickly moved on to ink, as this medium allowed me to play around with the detail of patterns as well as the roughness of textures.

I now work mostly in black and white, using Chinese ink and brushes, aiming to achieve a similar effect as with intaglio printmaking, specifically etching and drypoint. I also use coarse printing paper and watercolour paper to add texture and body to the lines.

My real joy is to draw portraits of birds where I attempt to capture their moods looking straight into their eyes. It is no secret that the eye is the window of the soul and this is the thing that draws me in the most; the birds I draw have become part of my life here in Brittany