Differences are a key ingredient to finding joy and making life feel rich and full. Covid times made differences feel elusive. In the chinks of freedom in between those trying times a road trip to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, for crab brioche sandwiches, opened a whole new view and sparked a candy coloured abstract landscape collection.

In my experience a good fine art collection is generally created out of sheer determination and hours of playing with paint. But in order to get to that bit something has to happen first. A vital spark. The trigger that sets the wheels of inspiration in motion. Finding that spark is something I love, especially when it comes from a single sketchbook drawing.

Just to be clear, lilac is not my favourite colour. In fact it’s way down my list of not favourite colours. However, being a fine artist who loves colour, I enjoy collecting them. Taking photos that catch my eye is like creating a mobile Pantone colour chart on my phone. Lilac accents keep popping and I’m not entirely sure why?

Ever since I was little road trips have been a time for drawing and colouring in. In recent years I’ve taken this literally and used car passenger time for filling my Moleskine sketchbooks with views of the motorway. As a mixed media landscape artist it provides an opportunity to practice eye feasting and quick response drawing as views zoom by.

A small tin flower pot, stuffed with hyacinth bulbs, sparked a new botanical fine art collection complete with bold shapes, luscious fronds, fancy china plates and dainty gold details. The finished work represents a desire to explore strong tonal contrasts and richly textured surfaces. It’s also a collection of mixed media paintings that helped me climb out of the depths of isolation.

Do your paintings tell you stories as you walk past them on the wall?  I’m convinced mine do, I make a point of looking at them to make sure I fully understand their narrative.  Call me crazy, however if you love contemporary fine art, Mid-century modern, Scandinavian style and small moments of calm as much as I do read on.  These are my ingredients for homemaking and art is at the heart.

Surrounded by lush foliage, in a charming North Yorkshire garden, artist Jan Wilkins invited Little Bird and I to make cyanotype prints. As part of a fine art skills swap, Jan kindly gave us the opportunity to explore this curious blue technique. Arranging gathered flowers and leaves on light sensitive paper we had first hand experience of one of the earliest forms of photography.

Drawing boats has long been a mini ambition of mine. Many times I’ve visualised the process of wanting to capture their distinctive shapes and bright colours on a page. Keen to put this ambition into action I went to Beadnall, on the Northumberland coast. With sketchbook in hand, I found a vantage point overlooking the harbour and began to draw; putting into practice what I saw in my mind’s eye.

This autumn, in partnership with local Amersham home emporium Jack & Atticus, I’ve begun an exciting series of in person BRIGHT Art Workshops. Taking place within J&A’s beautiful new Buckinghamshire studio I’m sharing my own artists’ tips, favourite materials and playful approach to art.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if drawing outside had one of those good for the soul type names like the rather trendy shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”. Yes there’s the term en plein air (translation “in the open air”) which despite sounding somewhat romantic in French seems to fall a little short of soulful when translated into English.