Southfields Art Festival
I took part in the Southfields Art Festival on 8th February. This was held to celebrate 50 years of the Southfields Grid Residents Association. I joined 20 other local artists in St Barnabas church, Southfields.
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There was a wonderful turnout and a great vibe throughout the afternoon. As well as being an opportunity for artists to exhibit and sell their work, the event raised £680 for the Royal Hospital for neuro-disability in Putney.
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BobCat Gallery in Putney
I was delighted to work with the BobCat Gallery in December. You can find this new exciting art space in the Putney Exchange, London SW15.
Art Fair East 2024
On 7th-10th November I took part in Art Fair East at the Assembly House in Norwich, Norfolk. I took a collection of expressive landscapes and seascapes inspired by the East Anglia and countryside and coasts.
It is always lovely to have an opportunity to display my work as a collection. I was fortunate to be paired with talented painter Nina Noakes, and our work looked great together. We enjoyed chatting to people about the artist process and inspiration for our work. Paintings found new homes and artists made new friends.
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Wandsworth Artists Open House, 2024
During the first 2 weekends of October, Wandsworth Artists Open house took place across the entire borough. I was at Venue 1 on the Southfields Trail.
Joining me for the event was artist, Debbie Tearle who, like me, loves painting trees and is inspired by the natural world.
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We were delighted to meet so many friends and neighbours, as well as people doing the trail, some had come from as far afield as Australia – although admittedly not just for the open house. There were lively conversations about art and life and paintings found new homes.
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And here's a few quotes from our visitors book:
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Painting Gains Attention, 2024
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A painting created days after the death of my beloved brother Alex, was shortlisted for the VAA Artist of the Year Award, and long listed for the Visual Art Open, 2024, both organised by the Visual Artists Association.
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Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2024
I was excited to be shortlisted the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2024. I took my painting to hand in to be judged. Unfortunately it didn't make the final hang, but I'm still thrilled to have been selected for the shortlist.
The theme this year was Making Space, and my artwork highlighted the problems faced by people in wheelchairs when shopping in the supermarket. It's a digital painting printed onto aluminium.
Better luck next time! Learning to accept rejection and not take it personally is really important for an artist.
And after all I have had the wonderful experience of being in the Summer Exhibition, in 2021, when I was also featured in a television documentary on BBC2. Read about my Royal Academy adventure.
A Space Between
A Space Between is a charity which provides mindful art resources to patients and staff in care settings. Its beautiful booklets reach hundreds of patients and healthcare workers across multiple staff rooms and clinical wards – including acute cardiac, maternity and cancer. They are also shared with outpatient and GP clinic workshop groups. As my own art developed out of pain management, and with encouragement from the team at St George's Hospital in south London, I was delighted to have an opportunity to contribute to the work of A Space Between.
As the Charity's artist in residence of April 2024 I contributed to mindful drawing exercises and an A4 drawing for people to colour in.
Find out more about the Charity and its work here.
England Is a Forest
I was intrigued to participate in an artist-led project celebrating trees across England. It was part of the Sluice festival in Colchester, but continues as a digital map.
Check it out at England Is a Forest
Art Fair East 2023
I enjoyed taking part in ArtFairEast at the beginning of December. This is the premier art fair in the East Anglia region. I collaborated with other artists from the non-profit organisation ArtCan to showcase our work.
Artist Residency in Devon
In September, I spent a week as artist in residence at Ermecot Gatehouse in South Devon. My partner, Geoff, came to support me as fibromyalgia makes travelling difficult. I decided to use my time to study the catchment of the river Erme and also to try new techniques in my art practice.
The Erme River rises on Dartmoor, flows south through the town of Ivybridge and to the sea at Mothecombe. With only a week to explore, I had to pick a few key locations. Turner visited the town of Ivybridge in the early 19th century and made a lovely painting, which is now in the Tate. I took his painting and the bridge (which remains) as inspiration from my own work. In the 19th century, Ivybridge, located on the road between Exeter and Plymouth, was an industrial centre. It had two paper mills and a corn mill, as well as other manufacturing.
Above Ivybridge, the river runs under an awe-inspiring railway viaduct. I didn’t attempt to paint this but took lots of photographs and might try later. Further up still, on the edge of Dartmoor, is the tiny village of Harford with another stunning old bridge. We followed a track beside the river and discovered the remains of ancient walls, covered in moss.
Unfortunately, halfway through the residency, Geoff broke his arm, significantly disrupting our plans. I am glad that we had already visited the glorious beach at Mothecombe. Part of the Flete Estate, this beach offers visitors wave cut platforms, golden sand, a World War 2 pillbox and romantic treelines. I joined children collecting stones. One of these, striped pink and grey, gave me inspiration to create a picture which I call ‘The World in a Grain of Sand.’
The Gatehouse is an idyllic stonewalled cottage in a tranquil location. I fell asleep to the sound of the river Erme close by. I loved having the opportunity to leave my paints out as I don’t have a permanent studio at home. It is now one of my goals to make a studio space. I made an effort to use watercolour, gouache and acrylic, confirming, as I had suspected, that I like acrylic on canvas best l but each has its place in my practice.
I relished the space and time to concentrate on my art away from day-to-day distractions. I was slightly nervous about doing an artist residency but even with the disruption and worry of my partner’s accident, it was a great experience.
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September 2023
Acknowledgement:
The River Erme and Its Industries By Ivybridge Heritage & Archives Group
find out more at: www.ivybridge-heritage.org
Open Studio, 2023
I held a one person one room exhibition for two consecutive weekends in August.
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Our visitors were an eclectic bunch from 2 years old to 80 years young. They included friends I had known since schooldays and friends I had met on Instagram. It was a lovely opportunity to introduce my work to new collectors and chat with people who have followed my art for the past 5 years.
While everyone who visited is a VIP to me, we were particularly honoured to welcome Tabish Khan, the London Art Critic, who generously called in to see the exhibition. Tabish is well known for encouraging emerging artists, and accessibility in the arts. Check out his columns in The Londonist and Fad magazine, or checkout his Instagram at
Saltaire Arts Trail, May 2023
During the late spring bank holiday I took part in the Saltaire Open Village Arts Trail. I had a wonderful time, meeting new collectors and other artists, and seeing the beautiful village. I also took the opportunity to visit Salts Mill, and see the iPad paintings of David Hockney.
I was honoured that Saltaire Inspired selected one of my pictures to be on the front cover of the Trail guide.
View of Salts
The Trail guide with my image on it
Chatting with one of the trustees of Saltaire Inspired
Sanctuary Art Exhibition, May 2023
I took part in the launch event of a new ArtCan East Anglia regional group of the nonprofit organisation ArtCan, to which I belong. It featured the work of 12 women artists from the East Anglian region, thanks to a grant from the Holly Bush Prize (now Women in Art). In the Leper Chapel, in Cambridge a 900 year old Romanesque chapel and one of the oldest buildings still in use in Cambridge. It was wonderful to see fresh contemporary artwork in this ancient setting. We had 12 artists in the exhibition, and a range of different styles and techniques, from contemporary printmaking to oil painting, from iPad painting to sculpture. We have abstract work and work inspired by traditional mythology.
I loved working with the other artists as a team, and was really thrilled to set up an interview for myself and another of the contributing artists on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
Lighthouse Dental Practice Ipswich
I enjoyed a collaboration with the Lighthouse Dental Practice in Ipswich to display my art in their waiting room. The idea was conceived by the manager of the practice as a way of creating an environment to promote well-being for patients awaiting treatment, and to support local artists.
D31 Art Prize
I was shortlisted for the D31 Art Prize organised by the D31 Gallery in Doncaster. I was the 3rd place runner-up for the People's Choice prize. My painting, Bloodline, explores my relationship with my Hungarian grandfather, who died in the Holocaust before I was born. The painting is part of the online exhibition of works.
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Norwich, March 2023
I was delighted to attend the opening party of an unconventional exhibition called Unconsumed in Norwich. It was great to see my painting alongside works of all different genres and materials. In total 95 artists are involved with this exhibition. It's taking place in an old factory, which gives a cavernous and atmospheric setting for the art.
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This is a cross-generational multi-disciplinary post-pandemic exhibition of artists in East Anglia.
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New York! New York!
I am delighted that one of my paintings spent the past year in New York, as part of an exhibition arranged by ArtCan in partnership with Kroll.
And I can now share that my painting has found a permanent home in New York. I am absolutely thrilled that one of the team at Kroll decided to buy the painting.
Ileana said: "Each year for my birthday I treat myself to a piece of art. The moment I saw your piece, the vibrant kaleidoscope of amethyst colours flowing through the trees, I knew it was “the one.” The Bluebells / Seeing Differently piece is a birthday gift to myself. Someone offered to gift it to me, but I knew I had to buy it myself because of the connection made with the piece."
Walking with Trees 2022
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I was delighted to collaborate with photographer John Martyn on a collection of work celebrating the beauty of meadows and ancient forests around the town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. This collection was on show at Guildhall Studio, Guildhall Street, Bury St Edmunds from 8th April – 14 May 2022.
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Read a review of our exhibition on a blog by The Sloe Life
Walking with trees
Coverage of my exhibition with John Martyn, photographer, at Guildhall Studio, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Wild in the City, 2022
I was delighted to take part in a day of painting at the Wetland Centre in Barnes on Sunday 12th June. This was organised by Arts Richmond along the lines of the popular Sky television programme, Landscape Artist of the Year.
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At the start of August an exhibition of the work created during this painting day was officially opened by the Mayor of Richmond.
ING Discerning Eye, 2021
I was thrilled and delighted that my painting 'The Phoenix Trees' was in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2021. It was chosen as one of 500 artworks from some 7500 submitted.
Framed! 2021
During lockdown, in 2021, one of my iPad artworks was chosen to be part of a public art project in Southfields SW18.
Wandsworth Art, part of Wandsworth Council, chose a colourful picture of autumn trees to be included in Framed, a street art project which sees local artists' works displayed on lamp posts throughout the borough.
"This exhibition of artworks by 10 Southfields-based artists, installed on lamppost banners on Replingham Road and Wimbledon Park Road, celebrates the vibrancy, optimism and resilience of Wandsworth as we return to our high streets after lockdown."
An article appeared in the South London Press in summer 2021, when I was selected as one of the artists in the Framed project run by Wandsworth Council.
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Pizza the Action, 2021
In summer 2021, in Bury St Edmunds, Art around Town invited artists and members of the public to paint on pizza boxes what the town meant to them, and what made Bury St Edmunds so special. I contributed two pizza box entries.
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Thanks NHS
This article appeared about me in the South London Press in October 2019. That was when I held my first Artists' Open house as part of the Wandsworth Council Artists' Open house trail.
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I hope my story can give hope to other people suffering from chronic pain and despair.
Visiting St George's Hospital, Phoenix centre where several of my paintings are on display