I moved to Long Eaton in 2003 and began making a daily bike ride around West Park to keep fit and unwind. I quickly realised that the park can be the most beautiful place in the world! Throughout the year the colours and light change on a daily basis. The tress shape and shadows vary as the season’s progress.

I started to take my camera to record the fleeting lights, shadows and colours. I have taken hundreds of photos, quick snapshots to remind me of the park at different times of the year.

I studied Fine art in Newcastle in 1988-91 and worked for 7 years as an art teacher but my own work has been slow and sporadic over the last 18 years. I haven’t felt inspired to return to art until my daily trips to the park began. I now feel excited by the prospect of painting. I work fast, producing 2 pieces simultaneously within a couple of hours and try to get into the studio for a couple of hours a day.

My work is meditative and relaxing. It provides an escape from the stresses of my working life as does my daily trips to the park. I see lots of regular walkers at the park and I hope they will appreciate what I am trying to capture in my work.