The majority of my childhood was spent in Orkney, A group of islands of the north coast of Scotland. It was here that the major influences in my life took hold, living right beside the sea, watching ferries, fishing boats and sailing boats in the busy harbour all year round. I also have an artistic mother who has always encouraged us, myself and my 6 siblings, to be aware of our surroundings.  Introducing us to art in many shapes and forms, making sure we were able to have a go at as many things as possible.  It was the sea that won the younger me.

 At 14 we left Orkney to live on Skye, here I finished High School and left to join the Merchant Navy, attending college in Glasgow, sailing on various ships as a cadet Deck officer around the world. While on one of my last trips in training I sailed with a Captain who was retiring. He had taken paints with him to practice for when he went home after his last voyage, this got me interested in drawing again rather than an idle doodle!

While on a return trip to Skye to visit my sister I met Colin, a fisherman from Elgol on the south west of Skye. The rest, as they say, is history! We  married and now have four young children who have grown into excellent beachcombers! Often finding much more interesting things than floats for Mum to cart home! If we plan it well, the bounty can be left in an accessible cove for Dad to come in and take home for us.

 As the children grew and the pile of floats increased, it was a chance remark by Mum that got me painting them. She been to an auction in Whalsay, Shetland, where she had bought a fishing float with ships painted on it. That was it, I bought a few tubes of acrylic paint and set about the pile at the back of the croft! It was of course trial and error, I had not painted anything for a long time, let alone something completely round!. Once I had mastered the practicalities of this, I unearthed a pot of yacht varnish to seal and protect the paint, fiddled around with some rope and that was it!To this day I have not seen the one that hangs in Whalsay.

 There are a few of my early efforts hanging in houses locally, they are a little different to what is produced today, as I have more confidence in playing with colour, trying new birds and flowers etc.