How long have you been working in this space?

My studio space is currently located in my home. I have only been here for a year but moving here was like a homecoming. I was brought up, studied and worked for years in this county so returning to the hills, the river, the canal and the old mills is like walking back into a big hug. I hope I never have to leave.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I an usually up by 5am so I can go to the gym by six and get back home to a shower and cup of tea before starting work. The early morning is also the best time to do emails. social media and blogging. For painting, my best time is between 10am and 3pm. I tend to work in spurts. When I get an idea, I will work on multiple pieces at once because each piece will inform others. If I get disheartened with one piece, I can put it aside to come back to later.

Watercolours are produced at the table so I can control the flow of the paint and get up-close with the details. Larger, acrylic pieces are created at the easel so I can be more active and use the daylight.

I like to lose myself in a murder mystery audio book, some philosophy or chatty podcasts while I work. Sometimes, when I am working at the easel, I will switch to a favourite playlist and dance while I paint!

How does the space affect your work?

I relocated here from a very different space with huge windows, overlooking a big river in the tropics of Central Vietnam. My paintings were larger and I adopted a very bright, vibrant colour palette. Now, my space is small and not so well lit (I must get a daylight bulb before the winter sets in). My palette hasn't changed though!

My studio is in an old building that was a bank - probably built in the mid 1800s, it has very thick stone wall which afford the depth for window seats which I love. There are deep, fitted pine cabinets where I store my materials, finished watercolours and prints in large drawers. Life is quiet and sometimes, I don't leave the space for days but I am kept in touch with the bustle of modern life by the interchange of people and traffic at the busy junction below my studio window. I can see everything that goes on in the village.

The walls are hung with my finished works and some pieces from other artists. The floor is partly covered with a vintage Kurdish rug that I have had for years and years. There is a futon for the occasional guest and my favourite comfy chair where I can enjoy a cup of tea and let my subconscious do a bit of work for a change. The small space limits the size of the work I can paint and store which is probably not a bad thing. It keeps me working within my means.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I don't have a garden to retreat to but there is a courtyard where I sometimes sit in the sun and read. I enjoy spending time at the local Arts House in the nearest town, where I am a member. I need to connect with and learn from the other artists, I like to help with exhibitions and maybe do a bit of shopping or take a walk along the canal. Sometimes, I will sit in a cafe to write my journal and watch the people come and go. On warm evenings I occasionally walk down to a pub in the next village or take a turn around the local park.

What do you love about your studio?

I have always enjoyed the freedom of working from home. I don't have to get dressed and can take a nap whenever I require. I am a keen cat-napper. On sunny mornings, the rising sun screams into the studio and lights up the hills all around. Other people who live in the old bank and surrounding cottages are out to work all day so I have the place to myself; it is quiet. Until now, I have always had my own from door but now, living in an apartment on the first floor feel safer.

What do you wish were different?

Like all artists, I would like more light, more space and better access, I would like to be able to open to the public for open studio events. Nowhere is perfect though.

What is your favorite local museum?

I always enjoy a trip to York City Art museum and I never miss the annual Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. Recently, I went to the Lowry in Salford Quays which was an absolute delight!

What is your favorite art material to work with?

Watercolour and acrylic are so different so I choose one or the other depending on the subject. Painting with acrylics is rather like writing a novel because I have the freedom to edit, to rearrange and to keep going back until it feels finished. Watercolour is much more like writing my signature because it is immediate and has to executed with confidence.