My pictures often are an inner journey, ideas that evolved from reflection into insights and then become established into a way of life. These I take to the outside with paint onto canvas, or other media, and share them with the world. In this sense, I am sharing the techniques I have evolved over having spent time painting and exploring, and I share my work, and me. As all artists must.

40 years ago, I first studied Fine Art in Ireland, at the College of Art and Design, Cork, Ireland. Then it was colour that fascinated me. Texture and to a lesser degree form. I lost myself in big atmospheric paintings, just because they were made up of colour.

Back then, in Ireland it was ‘Concept Art’ that was the Zeitgeist that was being honed and explored. There was not much room for the more traditional methods of drawing and painting. Yet that is what I wanted.

These values are now gaining in interest again, hugely so. As an artist one is also a designer. It is part of what we do. As a designer, you read from the ‘ether’, you somehow ‘plug in’ culturally to what is around you. It is not a conscientious ‘thing’ though. It has got to be a subconscious ‘thing’, that’s what makes it precious. It is an unconscious process, and it can determine as an artist what to ‘subconsciously’ do or follow. It can set a trend, it could be part of a particular Zeitgeist or not, and yet every artist wants to make her own mark and not be a follower. A difficult balance, because obviously one wants to achieve a certain popularity in order to make a living from it. They say artists often see what others do not.

I can only hope that I fulfill this idea. Nonetheless, it all is and only ever can be a certain amount of an intuitive process, with some element of skill of course. It is hugely exciting and devastating, and hugely interesting too.

After my first studies, for a time I taught at Clongowes Wood College (Ireland), the Boarding School that James Joyce went to (That’s my claim to fame). Also at that stage, I was running ArtWorkshops for children. And then, for 20 years a whole lot of other life happened, and my art was put aside, mainly but I never lost sight of it completely.

Slowly, from 2007 onward I found my way back to arting, and after 35 years of living in Ireland I moved to England, where I lived for another decade.

My first studio came about in lovely Exeter, in 2011. Firstly making designer Jewellery, and then moved unto designer hand sized Teddy bears. Both found their way into lots of the beautiful little galleries in both Devon and Cornwall.

In 2014 there came the decision to go back to University, and in 2017 I completed a BA Illustration Degree, at Plymouth University.

2018 saw me return back to the land I was born in, Germany. Since then I have illustrated books, have had several exhibitions, here as well as abroad. And I have given many, many workshops, in various guises since. So my artist life is very fulfilled with all of this. Add to that work to commission as well as my own works. A fabulous and fascinating array of platforms.

For my bigger works I use acrylic, for the smaller ones, it depends on what mood I am in as I’ll as easily work with watercolours, pencils, inks and acrylic markers. Then another passion I have is that of print. Linocuts, collographs, as well as mono and dry prints. It fascinates me completely, how the ink or colour sits on the paper or canvas. A rich variety of interests and passions, just like so much in life, and we each find our own within it.

I love colour, and also monochrome, and so I make and create as the mood takes me.

My works are reflections of intercultural marks; archtetypal, as they are about me and yet not me. They are everyone. They are intuitive so that the viewer can establish a comfortable relationship with what she sees. They are often delicate, sensitive, have been described as fairytale like and meditative. Somewhat middle-ages, and yet contemporary.

Art history too fascinates me, it is so rich for influences and ideas.

‘We stand on the shoulders of giants‘ (Sir Isaac Newton)

Each work alludes to an inner world, sometimes they seem feminine, but it is often men that really respond to their sensibility and that too fascinates me. They are paintings as well as Illustration, and stand in their own right in todays contemporary time. There is an invitation to be taken in and reflect.