Born in Hertfordshire and presently living in a country village in North Herts., Shirley has had a lifelong interest in art and the natural world around her.

Her enthusiasm for gardening, growing plants, flowers and even a wild flower meadow, together with the natural landscapes of woodlands and wild flower margins around her, have become a passion for painting subjects. Shirley also likes to deliver the feeling and atmosphere of the painting and the sometimes mystical or magical element of the subject as she sees it.

Her skills with flower paintings were recognised by the Society of Botanical Artists and she was elected to membership in 1986 exhibiting at the Mall Galleries and subsequently The Westminster Gallery remaining an active member for many years. At this time, the artist exhibited at the British Watercolour Society and received a ‘Highly Commended’ merit award for the quality of her works. Also, the Osbourne Butler silver medal award for ‘Britain in Bloom’. A collection of work and study was submitted to the United Society of Artists and Shirley was elected for membership in 1988.

Shirley has also exhibited at Hatfield Palace (Wildlife in Art), Wardown Park, Grosvenor Art Gallery, Ernst & Young Exhibitions, Trading Places Gallery and Sotherby’s MacMillan Charity Auction. Shirley is a member of Hertford Art Society and Hitchin Art Club and also exhibits her work annually at the Ayot Arts Festival.

Her paintings are in private collections in the U.K., France, Cyprus and Brunei. A collection of her work was exhibited in New York by an English patron of flower paintings.

A number of her paintings have been reproduced as greetings cards, calendars and limited edition prints and published by Royle Cards, Art Marketing and The Paperhouse Group.

Shirley has been an artist for over 50 years and, in the past has given demonstrations to art societies and has taught recreational adult evening classes. Having studied A level art as an adult achieving an A pass, Shirley applied for a Fine Arts Degree Course at Hatfield College of Art and was accepted. Unfortunately, due to family and other pressures, she was unable to take up her place.

The artist took a break from painting for around 10 years whilst concentrating on gardening and dog training! However, is back with the enthusiasm to try different media and subject material and experimentation with different ideas and thoughts.

Personal Note From The Artist:

“I continue to wish to show the beauty of our planet and to express the magical and mystical elements of colour, harmony and shape and, in particular to share the emotion I feel about the subject, with the viewer. I have had many heart-warming letters from purchasers over the years wishing to tell me how much a painting has meant to them and indeed helped them in some small way. I know then that I have managed to capture the essence of the painting - the unique Bluebell colour and scent in the woods, the cold stillness and silence of a snow scene, the iridescent colour of the flowers just before dusk, the dancing happy faces of daisies…. I hope the viewer will sense these experiences in my paintings’.

As an artist, one is often asked ‘well how long did that take you to paint then’?

To which the only reply can be ….. ‘about a lifetime’. There is never an end to the search for knowledge and perfection.“

I do hope you enjoy my website.