“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.
If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
- Albert Einstein
What if we could go back to our childhood years, to a time when the world was filled with a natural, child-like curiosity, a belief in our own magic, a playful approach to life and an excitement towards our own future and limitless possibilities?
“I am a self-taught artist from the UK, specialising in oil paintings and digital media. My artwork represents a strong focus on fantasy and folklore, paired with an intrinsic passion for deep and thought-provoking storytelling!”
“I have always loved to tell stories!”
As a child, one of my favourite things to do was to use my Dad’s blank journal books to make hand-made, illustrated story books for my younger brother and sisters.
We grew up on a farm (before the days of mobile phones and widespread internet), and when we weren’t building tree houses or running through the fields and forests, I was either making doll clothes and miniature furniture with my sister, or new artwork for home-made story books.
I was fascinated with all the classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and the Little Mermaid, as well as musical plays such as ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Swan Lake’.’.
Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ certainly left its mark with scenes depicting magic (Mickey Mouse in ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’) as well as amazing autumn and frost fairies, centaurs, and fawns.
I particularly liked tales that focused on forest animals and nature. Humour and animated characters often held centre stage (such as the starving wolf in ‘The Sword and the Stone’), or the hilarious crocodile hell-bent on making Captain Hook into a meal (Peter Pan).
“I believe that the best storytelling pushes the boundaries of plot, setting, beauty, suspense and ambience, but then sprinkles it all with an insatiable helping of glorious humour!”
Early Years
I was raised in the Bonnie Wee countryside of Scotland for most of my childhood. I am of mixed heritage, originally with roots split evenly between the United Kingdom and Denmark (my father is British and my mother is Danish).
My passion for Nordic and Germanic folklore can be largely attributed to my roots within the Scandinavian world, as well as my upbringing in the UK.
I grew up in a very large family (two brothers and eight sisters). We spent our early years living on a farm in the beautiful Scottish hills on the outskirts of Livingston.
Growing up in nature (and with so many siblings) had a huge impact on the art that I create. It allowed me to experience a ‘bird’s eye’ view of how social dynamics and human psychology can play out within a complex and lively family environment. It was an incredible childhood, filled with nature and a wide spectrum of unique, varied, and vibrant personality types.
It is something that I will always be grateful for.
How Art has Shaped Me
After leaving home, I moved to London and worked as a model in the fashion industry for twelve years. During this time, I had the privilege to work with some of the most creative and artistic people in the world.
Working in fashion taught me a great deal about building your craft, self-worth, perseverance, and pursuing your dreams. It also showed me that ego is the biggest enemy of true creativity, and that true art is simply a by-product of those who have learned how to truly and unapologetically be themselves.
After this period, I wanted to be ‘on the other side of the canvas’ (so to speak). I wanted to understand more about psychology, social skills, branding, and storytelling, so I moved into sales and marketing.
This period taught me more about social dynamics than any other period in my life, which eventually proved instrumental and aided greatly in my ability to understand human behaviour and formulate realistic characters for my paintings and stories.
A few creatives that have truly inspired me include Gene Kelly, Vera-Ellen, Tchaikovsky, Gil Elvgren, Banksy, Michael Angelo, Hans Zimmer, C. S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. After immersing myself fully into honing and crafting my skills within my chosen mediums (oil paintings/Photoshop) for nearly a decade, I finally launched myself and began officially trading as a professional artist in 2025.
I now make art full-time and have art that is rapidly selling all around the world.
I view my work as an ‘old world meets new world’. I love the bold pigments and vibrancy of oil paint (and the fact that it has been serving artists for thousands of years), but I also like the speed, precision, and definition that you get by using advanced digital software such as Photoshop/Illustrator.
(Please note: I do not use AI technology in any of my prints or paintings.)*
The bulk of my products are prints (although I do occasionally sell originals). Each stage of the process (from painting to print) is given the same passion and focused dedication to detail, and all of my prints are printed using only the highest quality, eco-friendly, bio-degradable paper and recycled packaging.
I think that mediums like oil paint give a nod and a tribute to our history and the incredible artists that have come before us. On the other hand, digital artwork honours the new, modern advancements that we have made as a civilisation. Because of this, I like to embrace, examine, and explore a blending of both mediums and practices.
* The process that I use to create my paintings involves a combination of free-hand drawing, free-hand painting (using oil/acrylic paint), stitching (joining multiple images together), digital painting, colour, lighting, and other definition-enhancing techniques applied using PS. Please note that whilst I do not use AI on any of my prints or paintings, AI technology may occasionally feature in my advertising and promotional material.
What am I presently working on?
I am currently working on a large series of fantasy stories called ‘A Glimpse of Numa’. It is a collection of tales from fictional characters who all share the same home — the Land of Numa. Accompanying this series, there is also a large variety of classic fantasy prints for each new major character currently in production (these will become available for purchase in my shop as each new story is released). You can expect a wide selection of fairies, witches, mermaids, centaurs, and goblins (anything fantasy-based is likely to find pen to paper.
You can read the FREE archived stories of this mystical world HERE!
I have also created a donate page, so if you are enjoying my stories and would like to help fund my projects, you can opt to leave a gift HERE! Your help means the world to me, and I truly do appreciate all of the support!
I could go on and on about how passionate I feel about creative expression within the world and our communities, but I don’t want this story to be too long, so I will simply end this with a statement that summarizes how I feel about the power of honouring and owning our creativity…
Following my Passion
Last Updated: May 15th, 2025
“Art cannot be measured, controlled, or contained. It can only be a perfect interpretation and reflection of the creator who made it, a person who is simply telling a story, from their unique perspective, and in their own, unique way. Art is the by-product of an internal journey of discovery where we find and ascertain who we truly are. When we choose to share that internal process, it becomes our art and our automatic contribution to the world.
Art is a solid commitment to remain true to oneself. It is an act of courage, a quest of relentless self-discovery paired with the bravery and commitment to defiantly release it into the world. Because of this, it will always remain the ultimate symbol of creative freedom and personal truth”.