The Work

I work with paint rather than language but I love collecting quotes from those who are good with words. These remind me why I do this work and why it matters.  Here are a few of my favourites;

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'It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see'  - Henry David Thoreau

'The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls' - Picasso

'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance' - Aristotle

'You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul'

- George Bernard Shaw

'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free' - Michelangelo

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It is with these things in mind that I pick up my brushes and work.

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As it's so much easier now for authors to publish independently I'm frequently asked to produce cover illustrations, always a rewarding task and especially so if the book goes on to do well in the market.  I know there's a new book I've worked on due out soon, so watch this space!

I have worked in various publishing genres over the years - ranging from medical illustration to children's educational - but it's been lovely to receive two awards in recent years for publications in the Mind Body Spirit field.  The first was the Moonbeams Silver Award for the indie book 'Spirit Child', by author Laura Thomas Vroman, in 2020 - an upside to a difficult year as we were all locked down for a great deal of it here in the UK. 

The Christ Consciousness Oracle deck which I illustrated for Amanda Ellis (Published by Schiffer/Red Feather 2023) was also awarded the COVR Gold Award for best in category.  

Both of these awards are acknowledgements of the hard work and professionalism of both author and artist; there are of course many wonderful publications which never receive this kind of recognition, but it feels good when it happens! 

As I love the great outdoors - and we have a wealth of wilderness on our doorstep here in Argyll - it's only natural for an artist to be drawn to capturing it all on canvas. (But painting this way, I'm also learning more about the bigger picture of a thriving ecosystem and how finely tuned the balance really is).

I'm particularly fond of our birdlife - kingfishers and golden eagles, also  the beautiful red deer up in the hills and then, because we're situated right beside the Firth of Clyde, there are seals and dolphins too. I'm spoiled for choice, but working on it! 

Alongside the work for MBS publications such as the Diana Cooper angel set (Hay House 2020) my work has also become a popular decor choice for therapists practising natural healing modalities such as reiki etc. This applies particularly to the more spiritual subject matter but also the nature and water paintings which invoke a sense of calm and relaxation in the clinic space.  I always love a healing room project, and I'm delivering internationally as usual via air courier.  So I'd love to hear from you if you need some healing art!

Of course it's all my own work - but when I'm not fulfilling commissions I love to take time to experiment and see where that goes, playing with colour, light and styles that all come together to create something completely new and different.  This is where the Flow happens; anyone who regularly practises an art or pastime that deeply engages the psyche will know exactly what I mean and it is perhaps not surprising that work emerging from this pure flow state has a unique and uplifting energy to it.

I tend to put this kind of work up on Sale here fairly regularly - you can join my mailing list if you'd like to be first to hear about the next one!