For my professional work I use Winsor & Newton professional acrylic paints although for large paintings where I need to cover a large area for the backgrounds I use Winsor & Newton Galeria paints and any left over workshop paints. I don't like to waste paint of any grade. For any plein air and sketch painting I use my Caran D'Ache gouache paint set. For my acrylic painting students I use either use Winsor & Newton Galeria or Daler & Rowney Graduate paints. For my gouache painting students I use Daler & Rowney Simply paints. Although these are my regular paints I do recommend you find a paint that suits your preference, price range and whether you can easily access it locally. Although many paints can be purchased easily online.

Acrylic paints can be harsh on paint brushes so I tend to use nylon brush packs. I like the mixed packs as they have a little of everything I would use (round, flat edge, angle edge, fan, filbert etc). As I am a big fan of using everything to create a painting it makes sense to ensure I have a little bit of everything. I don't have any preference for any brand.

I mainly paint on canvas. Deep edge canvasses for large paintings. These don't need framing. Standard canvasses for medium to small paintings. These need framing. Canvas boards for small paintings. These need framing. I paint on acrylic paper for sketches and plein air paintings. If I only have watercolour paper I either use my gouache paints but should I want to use my acrylics paints I make sure I paint a layer of gesso first to make sure the acrylics sit on the paper better.

Yes I do. I love to use palette knives, old credit cards, sticks, feathers, cloth, foil, clingfilm, plastic bags, pen lids etc. My favourite tool is my fingers. To finish the paintings I love to draw with Bosco pens or paint pens (I mix my own paints) and gold leaf.

My professional work Every year I try my best to consider what I would like to paint. This year I will be concentrating on my love of woodlands and in particular Silver Birch tree woods that grow on reclaimed land. They are fascinating trees e.g. they were one of the first trees to grow in this country after the ice age. They protect and give space to the slower growing trees such as oaks. A community of trees often known in folklore as a sign of 'New beginnings' & 'New life'. My art workshops Every month I teach acrylic and gouache art workshops. For my acrylic workshops I choose seasonal landscape paintings e.g. bluebell woods for April. My gouache workshops are based around paintings I have loved to do in the past and would like an opportunity to bring to my students e.g. wildlife or figurative paintings.

I usually buy locally from The Range, Hobbycraft & Patchings Art Centre. Online I use Cass Art & Jacksons.

Cheap off the shelf options Lets start with the easiest and cheapest options. If you paint on canvas boards you can easily buy standard photo frames. Take out the glass/perplex and backing board and then pop the canvas board in. NOTE: if you buy canvas board in imperial inches then buy frames measured in inches. Same applies for metric cm measurements. However, please double check as some brands (I've just discovered) get the measurements in the wrong order. 30cm x 30cm - should be the exact size (12" x 12") - brackets should be the estimated conversion size To be doubly sure take a tape measure with you. DIY options I'm lucky to have the tools, space and help to make frames that I want for my canvasses. Particularly if I am looking for something that is different or more suited to my painting style. My husband happily spends time in his shed providing me with the frames I need for shows etc. Online options I have used easyframe.com to purchase bespoke sized frames. They arrived in good time, perfectly packed and good quality. Framers This is the traditional professional option. There will be a framers local to you who will help you make good decisions on the style, cost and fitting of your frame. However, it does come with a hefty cost. No frames My large paintings are created on deep edge (box) canvas and do not require framing. This not only brings the cost down for the customer but is also a more contemporary look which suits my painting style.

Everything and everywhere is a very simple answer but I think you might need more. First of all I see colour more vibrantly than most although my artist friends see the world as vibrantly as me. I love textures and the way sunlight affects shapes in the landscape. I often will stop to look more closely at odd or interesting objects or patterns. I don't always have my sketchbook with me or the time to do a sketch so if my phone is alive I'll take a photo. Photo's aren't always as satisfactory as I'd like but it will at least help a little. But memory is one of my best tools. I can remember images so clearly. Ask me to remember where my keys are or the name of a person I've just met and I'm rubbish at it. My superpower is the ability to see the world in ways others don't. And as an artist I have the joy and freedom to recreate the world I see and experience.

Yes I do. David Hockney He is my colour guru and a wonderful contemporary artist who has given time to talk about art. John Sargent A wonderful portrait artist whose confident brush strokes take my breath away. William Turner His ability to create atmosphere in his paintings is beautiful. Quentine Blake His magnificent scribbly illustrations for the Roald Dahl's books are full of character and confidence.

First of all lets clarify what tracing may mean. Tracing another persons work to recreate their painting is morally wrong and illegal. Should you have created a sketch that you would like to transfer to a canvas, you may need to trace it to get it right. And we know that the masters would use all sorts of tracing methods in order to get images onto a canvas. But they were either using their own drawings or they were using live images of people. So, no copying other peoples work. However, you may join an art workshop or online class where there is a drawing that the teacher would like you to transfer to a canvas or appropriate paper. This is permissible as you are learning a painting process and it is sometimes easier for the teacher to give you an outline drawing they would have created for you use. In this case you are not doing anything wrong, you are learning. If you use tracing as a way of avoiding learning to draw, I wouldn't recommend it. Practice drawing will always make your work better even if you are primarily a painter. Hope this helps?