Exmoor has always been a part of me since I was a young child. Every August into my teens, my family would visit the area as part of an annual field trip from the Sussex school my father taught at. Returning as an A level Geography pupil, I have fond memories of striding along the banks of the Horner in wellies, or else amongst the pebbles on the beach between Porlock Weir and Bossington.  

 

Later at university, I studied BSc Geography at Exeter, the city named after the river Exe that runs through it, born from the moorland that feeds it. I believe my interest in the natural world and its physical processes enables me to perceive and read the shape of a landscape and its features, which translates into my paintings. 

 

 My degree focused specifically on peatlands, their paleoecology, climatic importance, restoration and significance as a rapidly disappearing ecosystem. Exmoor’s mires stand as example of the relationship between people, nature and landscapes historically and presently, and represent the need for protected spaces and national parks. My paintings here aim to celebrate these places throughout the seasons, and document my relationship with this place since childhood.

 

I am self taught, and have developed a detailed style using oils, with which I aim to create an element of depth and photo-realism in my paintings. The views I paint from Exmoor are ones that I have found on my various wanderings and visits over the years, often with a focus on the relationship between light, colour and the seasons. 

 

 I am always drawn to the large Exmoor skies and horizons fading into the distance, which all demand to be painted on a large scale. Ancient woodlands, temperate rainforest, purple heather hillsides, wild moorland, towering sea cliffs, winding rivers and glittering streams. All endless sources of inspiration, all essential to continue to protect and celebrate in this 70th year of Exmoor’s National Park status.