"Icecream melting on a summers day" my art teacher replied to a fellow student, when he was asked what was the right consistency for paint. I was sixteen at the time and blessed to have a superb art teacher. Who, even in recent years, offered me words of encouragement. The sort of teacher who appeared geninuely happy when his students were all doing well. Prior to this memory, when I first started school, I distinctly remember running toward an easel in a large classroom with huge windows. I suppose most windows appear massive when one is small, however one side of that early classroom was like a wall of glass, so if the architecture there is still the same, those windows are impactful, regardless the age of the eyes looking through them. Light is so precious, especially in Ireland, here, every particle of sunshine counts. Bright cloudy days are really the best I think for the artist, so the room is bright enough, without the bounce back of light from the canvas, or whatever surface you find yourself working on. Throughout the years, if you travel to other countries and climates you experience and enjoy various appearances of light, the interplay it creates on different textures and the atmosphere that is felt. It became obvious during my school days being creative was my calling. When I went to university, I was advised to study graphic design, because most of us were told it was a sensible option, but a painters heart wants what it wants. Technology had arrived in a big way in the late nineties, however my brain wasn't wired to work full time with a screen, and to the present day, it still isn't. I suppose I am ferociously human and I often say I should have born a couple of hundred years ago! A graphic design career was not for me and so off I headed to London, in search of a role that would satisfy my ambitious creativity and a job I could get physically involved in. I never could have predicted hair would become my canvas, yet working within a fashion orientated company as a top stylist, the experience was of course deeply inspirational. The shapes and lines observed in a salon with a diverse clientele and also during London fashion week, cemented my love of portraiture. As much as I enjoyed the work I was doing then, part of me felt paint would reappear at some point. I think of the art I created in London as lasting a certain length of time, the art I create now is everlasting. Running parallel toward a career as a painter full time, there has been an education and a first hand experience in psychology. An experience that has been so intense at times it has left me clinging to life with every ounce of strength I have. All along art would become my main form of therapy. Neuroscientists in the last twenty years have really confirmed how crucial the arts are to our fundamental well being. That being the case no matter your occupation. Humans began painting before they began doing anything else, that is how primal, spiritual and necessary creativity is for our brain. The knowledge I have soaked up over the years makes me even more passionate about my role of service within the arts. That lovely painting you have on your wall is not just pretty, it might neurologically rehabilitate you. Join me, and together we can discover more and help eachother!

Peace and love to you all 

Autumn 2026.