I am a painter, primarily inspired by nature. The earth around us, from the tiniest insect to a vast landscape, holds real power for me. Working with oil on canvas, I reference photos taken while wandering through nature. Playing with perspective, I invite the viewer to adopt a low view-point in scenes, much like a small creature or child looking up at a world of enchantment.

During my own childhood, I spent hours copying Ernest Shepard illustrations of Winnie the Pooh and his friends who made homes inside tree trunks. I was equally delighted and terrified by Arthur Rackham’s gnarly-faced trees, with branches that stretched into arms and knobbly fingers. A more contemporary influence is Nerine Tassie, whose immersive forest landscapes and close-up seascapes force you to be part of that scene, and to feel it.

It’s easy to forget how connected we are to the earth and all it provides. By painting bright, detailed landscapes or featuring animals and overlooked botanicals in real or imagined settings, I like to remind people: Stop. Take a look. There’s beauty all around.