What inspired you to pick up a brush/pencil and start painting/drawing?

When did your love of art start? Did you always want to be an artist?

I think I was born with a love for art. I’ve always been a creative person and admired all forms of art. Listening to and playing music, film and photography, I also studied ballet and contemporary dance during most of my adolescent life. I always knew that I wanted to be in some sort of creative field of work. While being an artist is not my full-time job, I’ve always made sure to surround myself with creativity. I’ve had the privilege of working in many visual roles (mostly retail merchandising and marketing) and I’m so grateful to have that creative outlet most days. Whether that’s helping someone redecorate their living room or sitting at my desk at home, creating a new floral watercolour collection.

What would be your advice for new artists just starting up?

Patience is important. I learned first hand that you aren’t going to be good at something on your first try. It’s important to keep going and not give up too soon. If you truly have a passion for creating, that will usually outweigh the potential frustration and impatience. Another tip is to upgrade your materials as soon as you can. I started with inexpensive paints and papers because I couldn’t afford much at the time and I was so eager to just start. But I found that as soon as I upgraded all of my supplies and materials, my quality of work got an upgrade as well. It really does make a difference.

What is the best tip you were told early in your career?

My creative journey has been quite an independent one, so I can’t recall any specific tips or pieces of advice I was given. The one thing I do know is if you’re afraid to start making art because it doesn’t feel like “the right time”, here’s your gentle reminder that there is no right time. Don’t put it off. Just start and things usually have a way of falling into place.

How has social media helped your career?

Social media has been a tremendous help to my career as an artist! I took my art public on Instagram in 2018 and its really helped me reach an incredible audience. It’s also helped me connect with my local community and build so many amazing relationships with other artists, creators and businesses in general—both online and in person. It’s the driving force for a lot of my collections. I love being able to “hype up” new things I’m working on and I’m blessed to have an intimate following of people that look forward to each of my creative launches.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

A lot of my creative inspiration is drawn from nature. I’m very big on florals and you see a lot of that in my work. However, my subjects do expand past that. From pet portraits to bar art - really, I just love creating art that’s happy. I’m often inspired by colour as well. I play around with colour palettes and paint mixing a lot and that often sparks new pieces and series.

What is your favourite Daler-Rowney product and why?

What is a technique that you haven't tried yet that you would love to try & why?