What's on My Walls and Why

From Travel Memories to Canvas

When I first began painting, I never imagined my artwork would live anywhere beyond the walls of our own home. Back then, painting was simply a personal journey—one filled with curiosity, discovery, and a love for capturing moments.

Over time, those walls have become a visual diary of our travels, each canvas holding a memory close.

One of my first "proper" paintings—the kind where I felt I was really telling a story—was inspired by a photograph taken by my youngest son during a trip to Portugal. We’d taken a lovely countryside tour, and he captured some beautiful scenes along the way, including a wild meadow dotted with bright red poppies.

I often hold onto mental snapshots of places I want to paint, though these days I’m better at keeping them stored in a digital file! It wasn’t until some time after that trip that I revisited those photos and felt drawn to bring the poppy meadow to life on canvas. That painting became more than just a landscape—it became a celebration of a shared memory.

Poppy Field

This work now hangs in our lounge and has done for many years .

A friend of mine loves looking at this and says she can imagine deer hiding in the trees at the back !

It's great when people really look at a painting and see so much in it.

On The Rocks

On the Rocks

In our dining room hangs a painting born from a beautifully relaxing holiday in St. Lucia. It’s near the spot where we often had lunch, listening to the waves crash rhythmically against the rocks. That memory stayed with me.

This is one of the rare times I’ve recreated the same piece twice. The first version was smaller, and my husband suggested a wider version would make a stunning statement. Now, as we sit at our table, the artwork takes us right back to those warm, carefree days.

Tropical Garden

We have another tropical memory on our kitchen wall.

I took many photographs of the stunning tropical gardens where we were staying., we were also lucky to see hummingbirds enjoying the flowers too!

The borders were full of lush plants in various shades of green with pops of colour from the exotic flowers.

The painting on the left began life as a small pen and watercolour piece .inspired by those borders.

Sometimes when I'm sketching I instantly know that I want to create that piece as a painting. I knew exactly where I was going to hang the art once created, I just needed to track down the right size canvas..

Canvas found I used black gesso for my base to really make the greens pop.

Now whenever I walk past this I remember those warm, tropical days walking through the lush gardens to the beach !

Wave

Next on the tour of our house takes us to our staircase.

Here I have one of my earliest abstract style works of the ocean, not of any where in particular, but a cumulation of thoughts and feelings.

I absolutely love this piece and would never part with it. The photograph doesn't really do it justice as is true of most art. There's nothing quite like seeing it in person!

The ocean is such a great inspiration with its ever changing colour palette and I never tire of looking at ocean artwork.

Many paintings are very therapeutic to look at and this is definitely one of those for me.

Storm in New Zealand

Along side this is an atmospheric work of a wild beach in New Zealand.

We visited this stunning country in 2003 but I still remember standing on that beach when I look at the painting.

We toured around the south island after visiting for a wedding and stayed in Greymouth before we visited Franz Josef Glacier. There was a big storm coming in, the sky was incredible and so dark with the sea pounding on the beach.

I painted this some time later from one of many photographs that I took on that trip.

Room with a View

Room with a View

The final piece I’ll share is the first thing we see every morning—Room with a View, inspired by our stay in Kuramathi, Maldives. A feng shui consultant once told us it’s important to “wake up to something that inspires you,” and this painting does just that.

It captures the view from our room—turquoise sea, peaceful skies, and a sense of complete serenity. It reminds us not only of an incredible adventure but also of what’s possible. It lifts us up daily and inspires us to keep dreaming. Our big goal? To go back someday. And who knows?

Sometimes, believing is the first step.

If you have a special memory you’d love to see turned into a unique piece of art, I’d be honoured to help bring it to life. Whether it’s a favourite holiday moment, a place that holds personal meaning, or simply a feeling you want to capture, I can work with you to create a painting that tells your story and brings that memory into your everyday space. Please feel free to get in touch—I’d love to hear your ideas.