My profile
I was born in the UK and grew up in Kent "the Garden of England" - but only 10 miles South of London. For as long as I can remember, I loved to write and illustrate my own stories.
I knew all the flowers, garden birds and neighbourhood cats & dogs - so my pictures were always buzzing with life.
I studied BA (Hons) Graphic Design in Hull (in the North of England), where I chose to specialise in Illustration for the final two years of the course.
After college I spent a year in London, hauling my oversized portfolio around the underground to see virtually every publisher in town. I worked for a while designing greeting cards (for Lings Cards) before moving "upt' North" to Yorkshire with my husband Chris.
My first big break
My first big break, a picture book commission, was a story about two cats - "Max and Minnie" for Little Tiger Press. I went on to illustrate and write many more books for them - animal stories painted in intricate detail - my dream job! The landscape of Yorkshire, with its cool northern light and changing seasons, was a constant inspiration to me. I was able to use this landscape in a book called "Charlie
and Bethan" about a sheep who thinks he is a sheep dog. I illustrated and wrote over 30 children's books, which were translated into many languages, including French, German, Urdu, Japanese and Korean.
After the birth of our third son we moved to India for three years. I found myself completely overwhelmed by this amazing country. I was particularly fascinated by the clothes and textiles that I saw - the vibrant colours, prints, embroideries and textures. One of my favourite places was Rajasthan, with its palaces inlaid with mirrors and precious stones.
We returned to England for a couple of years but after the heat and sun of India, the grey skies and icy Yorkshire winters had lost some of their appeal. During a trip to New Zealand, we fell in love with the Tasman region and decided that was where we wanted to live.
We finally moved to New Zealand in 2010. Surrounded by sweeping landscape and drenched in the brilliant light, it seemed to be the right time to try something new. My paintings have become bolder, brighter and more textured.
I love the contrast between the wild and the cultivated land, the wide skies and the sparkling water. I'm also enjoying learning all the new and unfamiliar birds and plants. And everywhere around me I am inspired by the creativity of people; from city walls to backyard sculptures to decorated mail boxes.
We seem to have found the best place in the world to call home.