"As a child, I was fascinated by the world of my parents.  My father was a brilliant jazz musician, passionate and ambitious about his craft.  My mother was a successful actor in musical theatre.  Often, she would be on stage while my father was in the

orchestra pit.  While I realised, back then, I would never have the desire to be a performer, I loved the atmosphere of the theatre, with its spot-lighting, the hidden world of backstage, and the thrill of being up in 'the gods' looking down on the constructed scenes.  As an adult, I'm drawn to the natural world, far removed from the productions of my childhood, but those memories influence my paintings today".