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I live and work in a 13th century Tuscan flour mill with my husband Robert, who has a hot air balloon business. Our nearby village Montisi and its surrounding countryside provide me with rich inspiration for my painting, as do our collection of animals—pigs, cats, hens and a dog.

My life in Italy started in 1976, when I decided to come to Florence and study painting with Patrick Hamilton and with Signorina Simi. I was not an abstract painter and a friend had told me that Florence was not only the place for figurative painting, but also the place to learn about the use of materials and making canvases.

This experience changed my life so much that when, in 1984, I was given an opportunity to paint for a year at a private home near Siena, I stayed on in Tuscany. However, having originally trained as a graphic designer (specializing in animation) at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art in the UK, I also had a love for children’s book illustration and I was lucky enough to be able to mix this into my painting.

I started by illustrating books for wonderful authors like Naomi Lewis, Kathryn Cave and Dick King Smith, until I had the courage and inspiration to write and illustrate my own books.

I live and work in a 13th century Tuscan flour mill with my husband Robert, who has a hot air balloon business. Our nearby village Montisi and its surrounding countryside provide me with rich inspiration for my painting, as do our collection of animals—pigs, cats, hens and a dog. My life in Italy started in 1976, when I decided to come to Florence and study painting with Patrick Hamilton and w... More