My art is inspired by Africa. My studio paintings consist of multiple layers of transparent color which I use to both obscure and reveal the subject of each piece. Building up the layers allows me to create effects of light, dust and heat, but I use color to convey a mood or a time of day, not to mimic the colors of nature. I eliminate unnecessary detail from my compositions and often use a limited palette of colors to create a tranquil atmosphere, in which people and animals go about their daily lives, undisturbed and unaware of the viewer. Areas of ‘quiet space’ have become prominent in my work, although this was not a conscious decision, but developed gradually as I spent time under the huge skies of the Kalahari and Namib Deserts. These quiet spaces balance the areas of detail and leave room for interpretation and imagination.

The 1st sale I really remember was when I was a teenager and I drew a portrait of a dog, in colored pencil, for some friends of my parents. They brought their dog to the house and I drew him, although he spent most of the time with his head under the couch! They (and I, to be honest) were amazed that I managed to draw anything given the circumstances. Perhaps this was a fitting memory – my 1st sale sketching from life!

I only work on 1 piece at a time. The initial design and composition of the painting take time and planning, work which I do in pencil on paper. When I have the composition, I transfer an outline to my canvas (using tracing paper) then begin painting – using multiple washes of color before adding details at the end.

I visit Africa for at least a month each year and create pencil and watercolor field sketches of wildlife, from life, in national parks and game reserves. I have learnt to sketch very fast and love the fact that I never know what will be in my sketchbook at the end of each day. My sketches give me the inspiration for my studio work, although I never reproduce a field sketch as a studio painting. Instead, I might use the turn of a zebra’s head or the twist of an elephant’s trunk, from a field sketch, as the starting point for a studio painting. From there it’s all about memory and imagination, as I only refer to photos in the final stages of a painting if I need to.

I live 25 miles north of New York City, with my husband, Nigel, and German Shepherd dog, Chase.