What inspired you to become an artist, and when did you first realise that you wanted to pursue this career path?I studied art at school (both GCSE and A-level) and completed a foundation in Art at Loughborough University. I went onto finish a degree in Graphic Design at the UAL: Camberwell College of Arts in 2003. It was after I finished my degree that my creative career took a halt as it was unfortunately very difficult to get an art / design related job as a foreigner in England (I was born and raised in Kenya). It took a while to find my feet, but I always knew I wanted to be part of creativity in some way. I became a client services lead at a marketing agency, working with designers and creatives, solving strategic problems and then working with creatives to bring the solution to life, visually. It wasn’t until 2014 that my art career started again. Following a successful start to a career in corporate marketing, my employer’s lack of support for part-time hours (as a new mum) allowed me to capitalise on the opportunity to channel my energy into creating skyscapes and bring my visual language to the world. I started painting again and launched a business while raising my son. To offer me the flexibility and also fulfil a long standing dream. What are some of your favourite materials and mediums to work with, and why do you prefer them?I love working acrylics and texture. I like to take my muse and abstract it, simplify it into its most basic feelings and use the texture and colour to bring it to life How would you describe your artistic style, and how has it evolved over time?I work in a way I call ‘structured abstract’. You can tell what I’ve created, but it doesn’t always have all the details. I work with brushes and palette knives, using colour and texture to bring the work to life. I’ve always loved quick brushstrokes and bold colour. My palette tends to be specifically chosen & limited for each piece, but my brushstrokes are loose and fluid, to create movement. I started out painting what I saw, but overtime I’ve learnt to paint the feeling the scene gave me - making my work expressionistic, I feel people can connect with it better and take what they need when they sit with it What themes or ideas do you explore in your artwork, and why are they important to you?I grew up in Kenya - it has one of the most beautiful sky, land and seascapes I have ever seen. There’s an organic element to the terrain in Kenya, it changes depending what part of the country you’re in. Being away from home for so many years, and especially after having my kids made me crave its warmth, colour and light. Since I couldn’t travel back as often as I liked, I decided to start bringing elements of the Kenyan landscape back to life through my work. As I worked, I started to discover my love of texture, organic materials/shapes, natural movement and a strong sense of inner calm. I truly believe that taking those moments to be with yourself and your thoughts can cultivate a journey towards that inner sense of calm. I want to draw the viewer into my work and allow them to take that moment to have, what I call, ‘silent conversations’ with themselves, to take the time to be in the moment and reflect on what truly makes them happy. I have been working to bring these emotions and conceptual values to life through my work. I especially enjoy the contrast between the smoother parts of nature against the rougher, textured parts, like the bark of a tree against clean cut grass, fallen leaves on a smooth path or wispy, textured clouds against a smooth coloured sky. Can you walk us through your creative process, from the initial concept to the finished piece?It starts with a rough idea - usually from when I’ve been out gathering inspiration - whether that’s a walk through local woods or a trip to the beach, it could even be through looking at old photos and looking through old work to see if there’s an idea I can further develop (I particularly enjoy these escapes into my previous work/sketches). From there, I create rough line sketches of the composition and flow of the texture and landscape. Then I start looking into colour - I’ve learned I’m influenced by the seasons. In the spring and summer I crave softer, lighter, brighter palettes, but in autumn/winter I chose rich, velvety, bold, jewel tones. Once I have the palette, I start painting. Over the years, I have learnt to work in batches and will sometimes have 4 or more paintings on the go simultaneously. This allows me to create harmony in my work and I’m able to build up collections this way. The first layers happen quite quickly, as I’ve learnt to work fast with acrylics. I lay down the main areas and create blends of colour to block out key areas - the sky, the sea, the land, etc. The other reason for working quickly is that I have very small pockets of time in between looking after my young kids, so learning to work quickly has been the key to moving forward. Once I’ve blocked in the main areas, I start to bring in the darker tones and mid-tones where needed. Finally, I’ll had highlights. Each painting is different, some are complete in 3 layers, others can need more than 10! Over time, I’ve learned to trust my gut and stop as soon as I start to feel a slight uneasiness about adding paint. I like to walk away from a painting for a few days before coming back to see if it’s really finished - I sometimes do this 2 or 3 times. What challenges have you faced in your artistic career, and how have you overcome them?This is a difficult one to answer, I have faced so many different challenges while developing my practice - from learning more about myself, learning how to run a business and be all the things as well as the artist. But, I would say, the most important has been not to give up, even if I’ve had a tough painting day - I’ve learnt to walk away and say to myself that I learnt something from it and that I can come back and try again tomorrow. Mindset is such a key part of being an artist and if we always bring ourselves down for mistakes we make or things that don’t go to plan, we’ll fail to move forward. Who are some artists or other creative figures that have influenced your work, and how have they inspired you?I wrote my dissertation on the impressionists, focussing on Monet. The freedom of the brushstrokes and the play on light are huge influences in my work I also love looking at wildlife photographers, especially Kenyan photographers as they connect me to home and bring the inspiration of the landscape to me. I have some very talented and generous friends who allow me to use their photos for inspiration. I look at sky photography on social media, following specific hashtags so I can see the differences and similarities between clouds, movement and colours around the world How do you stay motivated and inspired when you hit a creative block or rough patch?Take a break - I know it sounds counterintuitive, but stepping away for a while can be the best thing for me and my work. What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out on their artistic journeys?I would say to paint as much as possible and not get too bogged down with style. The more you paint, the more you learn about what works, what doesn’t, but more importantly, what you love and what you’d rather not do. I tried watercolours very early on and quickly realised I don’t like their uncertainty. What are your goals for your art in the future, and where do you see your career going in the next few years?I’m currently focussing on continuing my exploration of colour and texture. For the future, I would like to work with more licensing companies to make my art further accessible and far reaching. In terms of how I see my career developing, I’d like to continue to use my work as a way to help people find inspiration and calmness in their everyday. Given that everyone’s journey is so different, I wouldn’t like to define exactly how I see the future unfold, I’d like to leave some of it open to new opportunities and grow with the business. I truly believe that it will create room for more creativity and excitement, too much planning can be stifling. What's your favourite piece that you sell on Fy! and why?It’s called Turquoise Skies and it’s filled with texture, movement and lots of colour. It has the feeling of calm balanced with drama, the kind that transports you away and allows you to escape Which other artists on the Fy! platform do you love?Frances Collett, Adam Regester, Anne Marie Coolick, Aley Wild Can you share with us a favourite piece of art from another artist and tell us why you love it? (please ensure the artwork is available on Fy!) I love this piece by Dan Hobday - https://www.iamfy.co/product/sea-sun-art-print. It strikes the right balance between light and texture that I love How do you see your art contributing to the wider cultural conversation, and what message or themes do you hope to convey through your work?My work brings out an opportunity to spend some time alone and find some peace and solace at the time when our world is full of noise. When you see my work, I want you to take a moment and get lost in what you see. To stop, take a breath and let a memory come to life… Something from your childhood, a moment shared with a loved one, a holiday, anything that allows you to take a step back from your everyday life and pause. I want you to feel nostalgic for something special – just like I do when I’m creating. What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out in their careers?Already answered 16. Our shoppers love to buy multiple pieces to create Gallery walls, can you suggest any other art prints on Fy! which you feel compliment yours?Other abstract work would work well with mine, eg this piece would go very well with my Turquoise Skies art print https://www.iamfy.co/product/colour-1-art-printOr this one with the suggestion of someone on holiday https://www.iamfy.co/product/beach-escape-art-print 17. Tell us about the artwork you hang in your own home and how this fits into your interior style?I like abstraction and simplicity. The work in my home is either colourful and bold in some spaces, but mainly minimal, soft, soothing - I like to surround myself with art that helps me escape and creates a calming space 18. Where is your artwork best suited in a home? Do you love making prints for big bright hallway spaces or cosy bedroom corners?My work works well in both large hallways and smaller nooks - size will determine where it works best
