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Born 1981 and raised in Edendork until the tender age of 14, I grew up surrounded by trees, shrubs and fields, just a mile or so from Dungannon.
I have two brothers and two sisters and we all made the most of our childhood, having no responsibilities we’d go on adventures across the fields, often getting into trouble.
One of the first defining moments in my life was my parent’s divorce when I was nine . It knocked my confidence and left me with a chip on my shoulder that I have just about shifted. My mum had no choice but to move my siblings and me to Dungannon when I was 14. Living in a much smaller house, times were tough for all of us but it only fired my determination.
School was a place of achievement for me. I was always at the top end of my class and mathematics along with drawing was my passion. I never seemed to get noticed for my artistic ability until art class in grammar school. I was a natural when it came to landscapes and nature scenes. People started to notice my ability at the age of 15 and by A level I had achieved things in art I never thought possible
I struggled to fight for my dream to go to Art College especially in a grammar school, with good grades in my other subjects it was suggested that I go down |
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| the academic route. On top of this I felt the pressure from my older sister and father who thought it would be more worthwhile that I gain a “decent” degree. Not feeling confident enough in my ability as an artist I opted for the academic route. I got accepted into one of the most highly regarded degrees in Jordanstown: Communication, Advertising
and Marketing.
I made the most of the course and used my artistic skills where possible but as soon as I got into the world of work reality set in, I couldn’t be as creative as I desired, it was time to take a leap of faith…
I launched as an artist in April 2006 and my work has generated a lot of positive feedback but I am only beginning on this journey and I am going to push until I get there. If I have learnt anything from my business background it is that to get something you have to fight for it, make sacrifices and take risks otherwise you end up with a mountain of regrets.
IDEAS AND INSPIRATION
I get my ideas and inspiration from everything, I love to capture beautiful scenery and express how it moves me.
I also love to paint the well of emotions that I feel about everything in my life through a range of subject matter whether
that be spirituality, flowers, dancing or flying. The most important aspect of my work is the feelings that I am expressing,
the subject matter is a vehicle for expressing the emotion. I use colour and a variety of lines to help me express this.
Mainly I want people to look at my work and feel warm and happy; I want them to be able to escape when they look at
my paintings.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
I don’t spend all day every day painting. I paint when the emotion moves me to canvas. Sometimes I start with a sketch to help me make sense of the vision in my head and then I will move from paper to canvas, the colour always comes later while the vision develops.
I have buckets of energy that seeps onto canvas and leaves me restless. I have plenty of interests to stimulate my mind including a “healthy” obsession for intense fitness such as Martial Arts and circuit training.
People do comment on my appearance, I often express myself through my clothes, wearing brightly coloured trainers and changing my hair colour every five minutes. I am an expressive character and passionate about people, I make friends easily so I am often out meeting new people and building contacts.
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