Photography has long been the focus and outlet for my creativity — black and white landscape film photography to be precise. I had my own darkroom and hugely enjoyed the whole process of making prints.

A switch to digital led me to explore colour within my photography and other subject matters including flowers and people.

But all this time there was a part of me that wanted to address my latent desire to paint. Some of my flower photographs incorporate different textures and become almost painterly.

However, it’s my love of the landscape that has inspired me to want to paint. While my photography will continue, I relish the hands-on sensation and feel of physically creating a unique piece of art using paint, compared to the increasingly more digital/automated production of photographs.

Having said that, I have recently returned to film photography using a large format camera which compared to digital and AI feels authentic, more hands on, challenging and a link to the beginnings of photography.

I now divide my time and creative output between my original love of photography and my new found passion for art.