Handbags. Buffet politics. Drunk uncles. Questionable dancing. And relatives you were told to kiss even though you had no idea who they were.
If cheese and pineapple on sticks, handbags lined up on the bed and somebody’s uncle dancing with his tie around his head bring back a few memories, I made this for you.
My free 1970s Family Do Survival Guide is a little illustrated trip back to the family gatherings we thought were completely ordinary at the time — and somehow remember so vividly now.
Inside you’ll find buffet etiquette, handbag politics, dance-floor survival, familiar family characters and a few questions that might bring somebody straight back into the room.
You’ll also occasionally hear from me with new paintings, Owd Lasses stories, studio news and exhibitions. No incessant waffle and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
I paint ordinary people and the little stories that surround them — the characters we knew, the lives that rarely made the history books and the moments that somehow stick.
Sometimes a painting makes you laugh.
Sometimes it reminds you of somebody.
Sometimes it does both.
Northern characters, remembered lives, humour, nostalgia and paintings with a story — even when it isn’t yours.
Meet the Owd Lasses
My studio is open by appointment, offering a relaxed chance to see the work up close, talk through ideas, and spend time with the paintings in the space they’re made. Visitors are welcome to browse finished pieces, view works in progress, and ask questions — no pressure, no white gloves, just an honest look at the process behind the work. If you’re considering a particular painting or commission, a studio visit allows time to connect with the story, the colour, the humour and the detail that doesn’t always come through on a screen. Expect conversation, a cuppa, might stretch to a custard cream and a bit of a gossip but always a very warm welcome.
Studio visits are designed to feel comfortable and welcoming — especially if you’ve never visited an artist’s studio before.
Its FREE plus you receive exclusive offers, early access to collections and competitions