I came to art slowly, not overnight and not in the traditional way that artists are born. After taking maths at university, I followed a career in computing: designing and programming financial systems at the dawn of the internet age. I loved the challenge of designing user friendly systems and put a lot of thought into how things looked and how they made users feel. After a few years I was restless though, and went back to university to study Theology. I worked for churches for then next portion of my life, taking roles that worked more in the community than with the worshipping life of the church.

Working alongside charities and third sector organisations, I developed as a creative practitioner: bringing ideas and organisation around arts events to community groups and projects. I organised exhibitions, workshops, craft drop-ins, and collaborative art projects. This period was one of learning for me, not only that I could work with and encourage arts practitioners, but that I was able to create artworks myself.

I was encouraged by my peers to spend more time in developing my own artistic voice and learnt as much as I could, taking courses in media that interested me: in textiles, in printmaking and illustration. I became fully freelance in 2018, undertaking work as a solo artist and embarking on a PhD combining theology and printmaking, which I’ve now completed.

I have been teaching art from the beginning, in those community groups: in my art studio in Edinburgh, and in collaboration with an organisation for teaching Artists: the Arienas Collective, but in recent years most of my teaching has been online, via YouTube and through my own membership programme and courses. The focus has changed over the years, and now I mainly teach geometric and decorative art, and I have a real interest in Celtic design.

I’ve exhibited widely throughout the UK, sold work around the world and have over 50,000 online followers. I’m still never sure where the next twist of fate will take me but I remain fixed on calling attention to the way that art can make us feel and the beauty of life it reveals.