Five minutes with

I was hoping to put the link in for the "Five minutes with" article that was featured in the Burton Mail paper this week but they don't seem to have that part on line. No matter, I know the answers I gave the journalist although he had to edit them down to 420 words for the paper. I could have doubled that figure, easily! So, I'll give you my answers in full here...... which will give you a better insight into me.......

Born and bred

Born in Shropshire, then moved back to the Burton area since my parents are originally from here. My formative years were mostly in Repton (near Burton on Trent, East Midlands).

Hobbies
Film, photography, travel, reading, writing my blog, collecting wooden puzzles, walking, quiz shows, playing computer games

Favourite book - The Chimney Sweepers boy by Barbara Vine

Favourite film – Femme fatale, Perfume the story of a murderer, Notting Hill, Shakespeare in Love

Favourite food – Satay chicken with peanut dipping sauce

Proudest moment
Designing an erotic landscape where the couple are the geography of the land itself, after three months of hard work on it.

Having one of my tiger portraits win Ashby Art Clubs top prize, then having the artist doing the judging buy it from me.

Watching the sun rise over Machu Pichu in Peru

Exhibiting at Erotica, Olympia, London

Most embarrassing moment
Almost missing a flight out of Pisa, after waiting in the departure lounge for over an hour, finding that the flights weren’t actually announced, and having to run at full pelt from the departure lounge, along various empty corridors, across the tarmac, and arrived breathless on the plane, being the very last to arrive, whilst everyone else was seated and having to walk the length of the plane knowing that everyone on it despises you for being the idiots who held the plane up and almost lost the flight.

Biggest inspiration
Caravaggio, because of his use of strong dramatic light and darks, and the emotion he conveys in his art, as well as the fact that they are beautifully painted as well.

Hopes for the future
Wider recognition for my art, more solo exhibitions, inspiring others through my art. I currently have paintings hanging on walls on two continents, and I’m still working on the others!

Biggest/best achievement
The Fantasy Fannies series of paintings that I’ve created as they are the ultimate piece of feminine art. The are the most interesting of conversation pieces, since they contain humour, a deliciously naughty secret, are personal, bright and vibrant, and the ultimate of feminine portraits. They have empowered the women who have participated in them, since they find them therapeutic and spiritual. And they have touched women worldwide as far away as New Zealand, USA and Canada.

Travelling unaccompanied through Japan when we didn’t speak the language, or could even read it.

If you ruled the world ........
I’d get rid of road humps, call centres, cold calling, phone menu options, and my paintings would hang on everyone’s walls!

Pet hate – Road humps

Greatest love
The power of communication - whether it is through the spoken word, touch, empathy, painting pictures for other peoples pleasure, or my own, the written word, or just the look between two people.

Favourite belonging
A very large framed photo I have on the wall and look at daily, it depicts a moody sky, the sea, a beach, black rocks, and the stream of water in the foreground carving through the sand as it snakes down towards the sea is almost the shape of a woman’s body. I get great pleasure looking at the picture and find it very inspirationally uplifting and also calming at the same time.

Perfect night in/out
Being in the company of good friends, when the conversation, wine, and laughter flows.

What will your epitaph say
She brought a lot of pleasure to people through her art. She touched people’s hearts and they felt more enriched through knowing her. She was an inspiration. And she had a dirty laugh!