I was born in Sunderland in 1968 and after raising a family, completed a BA Foundation Art Degree at City of Sunderland College, gaining a BA (with Hons) at The University of Sunderland in 2009.

Working primarily in oils my paintings are inspired by the human figure, portraiture and my love of nostalgic imagery. I take inspiration from vintage magazines, adverts and items from days gone by and through my work I explore deeply personal, psychological issues and emotional responses to contemporary life, I also draw on my own experiences relating to human emotions and memories of childhood. Paint is applied both figuratively and abstractly.  Whilst all my paintings are representational, they are not limited to a particular style and the experimentation of the paint plays a major role in my art.

Now as a 'contemporary adult' myself, I feel a keenly layered sense of nostalgia for my own childhood, which has greatly influenced my current work. By using simple images of toys, items that can no way be viewed as precious or valuable and allowing them the same attention and detail as a “work of fine art” I allow the viewer the opportunity to wallow in unashamed nostalgia and to yearn for that which is irrecoverable: innocence, optimism, simplicity.