When did you start your creative practice and why?
I started drawing faces in pencil when I was in my teens. I was fascinated by expression
and how much emotion could be held in a single look. My skill then expanded into colour
and other media when I went to art college and that was where I realised how much I
loved using colour and paint.
How would you describe your artistic style to someone unfamiliar with your work?
My style is varied, contemporary and expressive. I paint wildlife, urban scenes and
portraiture, all centred around emotional atmosphere. I am drawn to movement, energy
and inner states. My recent work was inspired by Carl Rogers; a humanistic psychologist
whose ideas about emotional openness shape how I approach portraiture, blending
realism with psychological symbolism through colour, distortion and light.
What themes or ideas do you find yourself returning to most often?
I return to themes of identity, emotional distance, connection, and transformation. My
psychotherapy background naturally pulls me towards the inner world, on how people
shift, open, defend, or reveal themselves. Even in my wildlife or urban pieces, there is
always a sense of narrative or tension that something is happening beneath the surface.
What do you find challenging as an artist, and how do you overcome these
challenges?
One challenge is balancing creativity with the demands of full‑time work which is not
related to creativity. It’s a role that supports me financially while I build my counselling
and artistic career. As the job is structured and precise, I make sure my painting time is
the opposite: intuitive, expressive, and emotionally open. Allowing myself that freedom
keeps the work alive.
Do you ever have creative blocks, how do you keep motivated?
I do get creative blocks, especially when I am tired, demotivated or feeling a bit lost.
When that happens, I take the pressure off completely and just play with paint. I
experiment with colours, textures and effects without aiming to create a finished piece.
There’s no end goal in those moments, it’s simply about staying connected to the act of
making. Working a full‑time job alongside my art can make it harder to stay motivated,
so giving myself permission to experiment keeps things flowing.
Who are the artists (past or present) who have strongly influenced you?
I have been influenced by a wide range of artists over the years. Early on, I was drawn
to Lucian Freud, Edgar Degas and L.S. Lowry for their storytelling, movement and
emotional presence. More recently, artists like Christian Hook, Eric Robitaille, Peter
Pharoah, Taeil Kim and Marco Grassi have inspired me with their bold colour,
expressive mark‑making and contemporary approach to portraiture. These artists
encourage me to experiment and push emotion to the forefront of my work.
How has your style or perspective evolved over time?
My style and perspective have evolved a lot, especially as my counselling and
psychotherapy training has deepened. Working directly with clients has had a big impact
on how I see people, emotion and inner process, and that naturally feeds into my art. I’m
thinking more about the story behind each piece and the emotional state that I am trying to express.
I used acrylics for many years, but recently I have been exploring water‑mixable oils
because they give me more time to work with colour before it dries. That shift has made
me more aware of how colours sit together, and I have found myself drawn to using a
limited palette, something I want to explore even more.
If you could give the younger you advice what would it be?
I would tell my younger self not to worry so much about trying to prove something.
Spend more time observing, drawing from life and letting the work be freer. Try not to get caught up in fear of judgement, art is always in the eye of the beholder, and you cannot please everyone. Focus on learning, exploring and enjoying the process. What matters most is staying true to your own voice.
Have you got a project / award/ residency/ or idea are you excited to share with
us?
I am in an exciting transition, building a future where I work solely as a counsellor and an
artist. As part of that, I am exploring contemporary pet portraits as an additional income
stream, alongside developing more personal work. I am also interested in creating
pieces that blend abstraction with touches of realism, and considering offering acrylic art classes. This feels like a natural stage of growth, refining my direction, expanding my skills and shaping a practice that supports me independently.
If your work could evoke one feeling or reaction in viewers, what would it be?
If my work could evoke one feeling, I would hope it creates a sense of connection, a
moment where someone feels an emotional truth or experience within the piece that
resonates with something in themselves, even if they cannot fully explain why.
What is your website and how do we find you on social media?
I do not currently have a website, but I am planning to build one soon. You can find me
on Instagram as Tarnscapes, and I also have a Facebook business page under the
same name.
