Mary Ann has experimented with different styles and textures, using a palette knife in much of her work and has exhibited in Herts and London.

Mary Ann has experimented with different styles and textures and has been painting for as long as she can remember.
A self-taught artist who has, over the years attended numerous workshops, some by eminent artists themselves, . She has been a contestant in the 2016 Sky Landscape Artist of the Year competition.

She says she is "travelling on an artistic journey that continues on a never ending roller coaster of discovery."

"I am excited by the magic of paint and never cease to be amazed at the level of complexity and versatility just one brushstroke can achieve," she says.

Her home country, the UK, has been inspirational in her artistic development. Recently the red earth of Australia and the azure of the sea have been feeding her endless curiosity for subject matter to put to canvas. Mary Ann has featured in several local art exhibitions on the outskirts of London. Currently, Mary Ann has been experimenting with thick layers of paint laid on with a palette knife, using bold, bright colours, depicting a series of scenes showing everyday people at play or at work, on the beach or among their friends, catching them momentarily in a scene as if through candid camera.

Mary Ann continues to paint with both brush and palette knife. She has also allowed her long-standing fascination with the sea to come through her work, developing a series of colourful coastal scenes, reflecting her fascination with wind-lashed islands such as Hawaii and Fiji, where the sun sets in a bright red-gold glow and the palm trees sway in the tropical breeze. You can almost feel the breeze brushing your face as you take in the bright exotic colours, following humbly in the giant footsteps of the trail left by the likes of Gaugin and Cezanne.

"Colour is the key to my work," she explains. "Without colour life would be a very dull place. I feel my job is to project that colour on to walls in generous, daring quantities, providing an uplifting and happy interlude for the viewer."

Jackie creates small and unique sculptures of animals and birds using the slow, therapeutic technique of needlefelting. Commissions welcome!

The versatility of working with wool really appeals to Jackie. Wool is light, strong and easy to transport, so she has the freedom to work anywhere (as long as it's not too windy)! She has a special interest in the natural world and is keen to capture the character, movement, texture and pattern of her subjects, usually working from the many drawings and paintings in her sketchbooks. Her finished pieces are sometimes embellished with scraps of fabric and threads and are usually mounted on found wood and natural objects.

Jackie's work is on show regularly in local galleries, museums and craft fairs. Her needlefelting workshops, which cater for all abilities, give her the joyful experience of sharing her skills with others. She is a member of the International Feltmakers Association.

Handmade silver jewellery created in Harpenden.

I started making jewellery 12 years ago, and I enjoy incorporating gemstones in some of my pieces.