The cheerful supermarket kalanchoes plant (commonly known as a Flaming Katy) and a hand made ceramic pot, dotted in circular buttons, are the star of a brand new botanical painting collection. The collection takes a deep dive into composition, surface pattern and a personal connection with favourite colours and how they work in harmony.

A mother and daughter's shared love of art comes to fruition in a joint exhibition. The two fine artists, who practice mixed media art making with a penchant for plants, have unique painting styles, however their work is united by a touch of the familiar. The October exhibition, at Emerald Gallery, explores the power of family ties and the creative bond between mothers and daughters.

At the end of the Metropolitan Line, tucked within Amersham’s leafy neighbourhoods, I create BRIGHT contemporary fine artist from my garage studio. Surrounded by the abundant beauty of the Chilterns, I can often be found, sketchbook in hand, roaming the fields and Memorial Gardens of the Old Town. However my journey to full-time artist has taken a few creative loops and turns.

The Homespun Girls are a collection of paper collage portraits constructed from recycled paintings, remnants of clothes patterns and collected colourful envelopes. Each girl has a name inspired by female American names of the 1930’s - 60’s. They are names that remind me of my fleeting yet impactful time living in the American Midwest in the early 80s.

Fine artists learn best through play and being free to experiment and explore is how to move forward. It’s in the unguarded moments of working with a new material and making random marks that discoveries are made. There’s a good reason artists refer to their work as a practice, because that’s exactly what they’re doing.

Differences are a key ingredient to finding joy and making life feel rich and full. Covid times made differences feel elusive. In the chinks of freedom in between those trying times a road trip to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, for crab brioche sandwiches, opened a whole new view and sparked a candy coloured abstract landscape collection.

In my experience a good fine art collection is generally created out of sheer determination and hours of playing with paint. But in order to get to that bit something has to happen first. A vital spark. The trigger that sets the wheels of inspiration in motion. Finding that spark is something I love, especially when it comes from a single sketchbook drawing.

A small tin flower pot, stuffed with hyacinth bulbs, sparked a new botanical fine art collection complete with bold shapes, luscious fronds, fancy china plates and dainty gold details. The finished work represents a desire to explore strong tonal contrasts and richly textured surfaces. It’s also a collection of mixed media paintings that helped me climb out of the depths of isolation.