My journey to becoming a mixed-media artist began about 25 years ago when creativity called. I started, quite simply, with blendable coloured pencils at home sketching and painting pots of flowers, then branched out to sketch the trees and golden reeds at Attenborough Nature Reserve where I love the trees. Watercolour was my next medium. I attended a weekly watercolour class to learn important techniques. I then went on to learn about painting with acrylics at a local FE college. I was fortunate that on moving to Attenborough Village we lived next door to the lovely Eddie Askew, OBE (awarded for his lifelong work with the Leprosy Mission) a well known water colourist, at the time. Eddie introduced me to the Spotted Dog Art Group. The encouragement of other group members at the diversely tutored monthly workshop opened up a whole new world of artistic possibilities. Early on there was a ‘paint a postcard” competition for which I won the ‘trepidatious’ category’! I’ve made some great friendships through being a SDAG member. A fellow SDAG member and I learnt about sketching and how to use oil paints through an introductory course at the Open College of the Arts. I discovered an intolerance to oil paints but fortunately water- soluble oils came to the rescue. I still love the lusciousness of oil paint and return to it every now and then.During lockdown I discovered abstract, semi-abstract and collage through YouTube videos. I was particularly inspired by the teaching of Louise Fletcher (UK) and Judy Woods (New Zealand). I love experimenting with juxtaposition of shapes, harmonising of colour, light and textures.What I enjoy, most of all about being an artist is getting lost in the process of creating art.