Artist, Author, Sketchbook Hoarder

I teach aspiring sketchbook artists just like you, how to live more creatively, re-discover your inner artist, build confidence in drawing, fill sketchbooks and make art you can be proud of.

I’ve worked as a successful professional artist for over 15 years, authored 6 art books including Sketchbook Challenge: 100 Prompts for Daily Drawing, spoken at TedX Woking, been featured on HobbyMaker TV, created over 35 online courses, and taught thousands of aspiring artists sketching and drawing techniques through my membership, retreats and online courses. 

For the last few years, sketching on a regular basis those things that I see around me has been my foundation, and underpins all of my creative endeavours. To just grab a pencil and sketch what you see in front of you, wherever you happen to be is such a joy. 

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What does Art is Magic mean to you?

To me this sums up the beauty of creating, and how art can be both magical and transformative. 

Why do you create art?

Creating art is like a deep breath of fresh air - it offers a moment of calm in a hectic world. 

Tell us about your journey to become an artist? 

I spent a large part of my childhood filling sketchbooks. I was lucky to have two parents and an art teacher who championed my early artistic pursuits, encouraging me to keep doing what I loved most. So being the avid scribbler that I was, I packed up my pencils and took myself off to Loughborough University to study Fine Art.

After university I dipped a tentative toe into the role of self-employed in 2025 and (almost) never looked back. I was camping out on my office floor, training to become a yoga teacher and running various businesses, all while doing what I loved most: teaching art, exhibiting, and selling my pieces. 

When I wasn’t working in one of my other roles as a letting agent or digital marketer, I started writing my first book: Learning Linocut. It was the first book of its kind and instantly became a bestseller on Amazon! 

The unexpected success of Learning Linocut was the sign I’d been waiting for. I knew in my heart that I had to double down on following my dream of becoming a full-time creative. Over the years that followed, I very slowly stepped away from the parts of my life that weren’t serving that dream and toward the things that were. 

Fast-forward to 2016, and my life changed in an even bigger way. I had my daughter, Ariana. (I also nabbed a Mum in Business award, opened up a pottery cafe in Woking (Fired Frog), and decided to transition to online teaching, because I never do anything by halves!).

What is currently inspiring you? 

At the moment I love working on landscape sketches and other drawings that are inspired by nature. I adore finding new places to go outdoors to sketch and photograph. I have several sketchbooks dedicated solely to this practice.

What does your creative Practice look like?

My creative practice varies from day to day. I like to work primarily on paper and so usually this involves working in sketchbooks of various sizes. I have different sketchbooks for all sorts of varied projects.  

If I am in my home studio this can look like a short sketching exercise using something like pencil or ink, followed by a longer painting or drawing session. If I am out and about this is usually taking photos and sketching en plein air the landscapes that I come across, or pencil sketches of artworks in galleries. When I am super-busy my sketching practice turns to simple doodles and sketching of subjects that are familiar to me. 

How do you keep your creative practice fresh and inspired?

I like to try new things regular to mix up my practice. That could be buying some new materials, visiting a new art exhibition, reading a new art book or just going somewhere new to sketch.