From a very young age, I loved to draw and I dreamt of being an artist when I grew up. I used to paint and draw in a traditional style, but that changed when I went to art college and we were encouraged to experiment.

I went on to study graphic design and I’ve now been a graphic designer for over 25 years. But because everything in that field is digital, I stopped creating by hand and as a result, I lost my passion for drawing and painting.

A few years ago I connected online with another artist called Sandra Busby. The two of us started setting each other creative challenges. It was through doing these challenges that I rediscovered my love of drawing by hand again. At first, it felt strange to draw by hand; I was so out of practice and I was used to having that easy ‘undo’ button. But it wasn’t long before that spark was reignited and now I don’t want to create digitally anymore. I feel it's the quirks and imperfections that bring a piece of work to life.  Sandra and I, now encourage other people to be creative through our website and podcast Kick in the Creatives.

Near the beginning of last year, I set myself a 60-day challenge to ‘Find My Art Style’ and completely fell in love with Neocolor 2 pastels; they are so immediate, punchy and vibrant. They are also very versatile. My favourite subjects to draw are semi-abstract faces and characters. I am a big dog lover so dogs often appear with my characters too.