Hello allo dearies!
Yes, that’s me over there (ok a rather old photo...needs updating, I'll get to that soon I swear)—but for now this is me trying to write an "About Me" page. It’s a terribly uncomfortable thing to do. If you’ve never tried describing yourself in a few paragraphs and trying to decide just how much to let loose...give it a try, just for giggles maybe. Then tell me how many times you had to edit and rewrite.

I suppose the simplest way to introduce myself is to say that I am an artist, a dreamer, a visual storyteller and I frequently feel like a half eaten cookie. I'll try not to bore you but I do prattle on. Hence I'll touch on the most commonly asked questions I get on an average day working any pop up market or event.

"So where do you get your inspiration??"
This is such a loaded question BTW. I have to step back and start first with - I wasn’t always an artist or a painter, I actually have a medical science degree - I was a med lab technician and after that a medical software analyst. Being an artist seems so far now from what I once did, what I once was? - however I have always been a maker of things. I loved to create, doodle, craft and write. My whole life I have devoured mountains of fantasy and science fiction novels, films, animations, games. All the otherworldly things I could find and consume...

When I was a kid I used my lunch money to buy books instead of food, because quite frankly that was more important to me. I especially loved anime, manga and animated films having spent many years living in Japan as a child. I was and still am a voracious consumer of other worlds. As a child I was determined that if there really was a door to Narnia or a rabbit hole to Wonderland I was of a mind to find it. Perhaps I did and pieces of me never came back?

Thus, the world inside my head is a wild landscape of whimsical fantasy, sci-fi expeditions, and mischievous fae spirits who trade in secrets and guard all the mysteries of existence. Much of my inspiration is fueled by my lifelong love for stories including the ones that I've written in my own heart. But then I find there is also wonderful beauty and inspiration to be found in our everyday mundane lives. So everything, simply ...everything inspires me. Falling asleep on a dear friend on a London train - I imagine us as creatures in clothes, a tired parent at the grocery store surrounded by kids instantly transforms to a grand creature covered in tiny, impish sprites. Two flirting baristas become a sly cat and a clever mouse. I could go on forever. When the leaves rustle on my afternoon walks, I don't just hear the wind—I hear the whispered gossip of the woods and all her inhabitants, today they say, today she'll fall down that bank straight into our ring of toadstools. Which is likely to happen since I can't seem to keep my feet underneath me I'm so clumsy.

"Oooo how did you make this? What mediums do you use?"
Watercolor! - I am so head-over-heels in love with watercolor paints, and so many other mediums as well but I always return to watercolor. It is the one creative medium that has never lost its magic or ability to capture my attention. And trust me, I’ve dabbled in so many mediums and hobbies!

However, I do think it's best not to box myself in with just one medium. I play and dabble all the time, I feel refreshed every time I step away and play with other supplies or crafts. Hence I am an unrepentant, joyful hoarder of art supplies. If I were a dragon the supplies are my gold.

My studio is packed with watercolor paints in all its forms as well as inks, gouache, colored pencils, pastels, markers, acrylics, fiber, fabric, enough paper to start my own papermill and more pens then I could ever use...no oil paints though...can't stand the stuff. I can't even begin to describe the chaos in my studio. I frequently find supplies I don't remember buying or art I misplaced after drawing... The best part...maybe not for my wallet is that I can't stop collecting all the arty things and supplies.

Now the not so comfortable question - I never know just how open I should be:....

"How did you become an artist?"
I told you - I always loved to create, but I think I was always a hobbyist, a sometimes type of maker whenever the mood struck me...but my unstoppable passion to draw and paint was born during an internal fight against some darkness that had taken root inside me. Oh depression and PTSD rears its ugly head from time to time. If you know, then you understand. Perhaps my little characters were fighting back the dark with me and demanding laughter, love and loads of mischief. Drawing became my sanctuary and then in a deluge my unpolished characters began blinking into existence on my paper. They were my light in a dark place, they still are and I can only hope they bring a little or that light and a bit of happiness to others.

A big part of becoming an artist for me was also about finding my people - ...when I started drawing avidly I was discovered others who were creating in a whirlwind torrent such as I was during lots of art challenges on social media. I was so attracted to these other creators that I didn't want to lose touch. So I formed an art challenge group full of these wonderful artist friends from all over the world. We all wanted to grow and improve our art skills and for the past decade, I’ve had the absolute joy of managing this wonderfully supportive and immensely talented global art community. We create together daily, weekly, monthly and a day doesn't pass that I don't chat with some of them. I've traveled the world to meet many of them in person and know we'll continue creating together for decades to come. 

Wow you made it this far, do you deserve a cookie or what?!
Thank you for taking the time to read til the end.

And If you ever want to see me drawing or painting - I live video stream every week on Twitch. Currently every Monday 11am - 2pm PST. During the autumn the live streams are less frequent since I work 6-7 days a week. I hope you'll bring your art supplies and draw with me, hang out, chat and try not to let me drink my paint water.