About The Artist
Like many folk, I'm not keen on having my photograph taken, or having the photo inspected thereafter. However, this one, captured by my friend and professional photographer Arina Khanna, taken with my beloved horse, Merlin, is an exception. I think it says plenty, but more about the relationship between us than either of us as individual beings.
Merlin is nineteen and we have journeyed together since he was three. He is a constant in my life; a constant companion, and a constant source of inspiration.
Along with Merlin, my three terrier bitches, Gyp, Chico and Root, are what sustain me every day, through good times and bad, offering support and bringing joy.
What Came Before
My Parents Wedding Day
My passion for animals undoubtedly came from my mum, who was brought up on a small-holding in East Yorkshire. She had a love of all things living really, and was a mine of information on British birds, mammals, flora and fauna. She also had an eye for quality and 'type' when observing domestic species, something I'd like to think she handed down to me along with her optimism and hope.
Although my father's family did have an enduring connection with horses, working on the canals with horse-drawn barges and on the streets of Birmingham as the drivers of horse-drawn hackney cabs, my dad was always slightly awkward around animals. In hindsight, my dad was slightly awkward around a number of things.
I'm pretty sure that my creativity does come from my dad, who was denied a place at art school by his mother and step-father, only to one day turn to me and express what a "failure" he felt he was.
My dad taught me about pencils, about the grades of hardness and softness, and when to use them. And he taught me about sadness and regret.
I'm the other side of the driver!
During my formative years I competed nationally in a number of sports; ice dance, archery and as the navigator with a team of four in hand driving horses (the leaders can be seen above).
One might say that I've led a varied and interesting life thus far. I would consider myself lucky in the diversity of the experiences that I have had.
My parents emigrated to Canada when I was twenty one, so for the most part, I have made my own way, be that rather disjointed and even wayward from time to time.
The beginning of a passion...
Aged fifteen at the Junior British Ice Dance Championships in Nottingham, 1975 ish...
Another outdoor pursuit...
Never one to be terribly interested in the material, I've always gotten by, often by the seat of my pants or the skin of my teeth, but I was nearly always able to do something enjoyable, either as a way of making money or as a past time.
Despite this, like many people, I have had times when my emotional health has gotten the better of me, and I struggled for a number of years to come to terms with being alone. Now, I wouldn't want it any other way - I have my animals, and they have no agenda.
During the pandemic, I had a tricky time. I didn't catch Covid 19, but I did move home five times in the pursuit of finding a way to earn a living.
I have always dabbled with drawing, design and art but had little confidence, having never achieved any qualifications in the sphere.
At the beginning of 2021, I created a portrait of a Border Terrier and posted it on my personal Facebook page. A friend liked it so much, she asked if she could buy it, and the rest, as they say, is history...
After a series of terrible experiences in employment at the hands of the most awful employers, I took a leap of faith and launched Elements Art.
A Leap Of Faith
Reflection and Response
Now in my maturity, although I am unlikely to ever be 'secure', I am able to reflect upon my experiences and use them to respond, through my creativity, to the world and my place in it.
The beginning of it all...
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