B I O G R A P H Y  

Andie has exhibited her landscape paintings and drawings, horse artworks and human studies widely throughout Wales, England and Ireland.

She exhibits regularly at Denise Yapp Contemporary Art in Monmouth, The Albany Gallery in Cardiff, Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw in Llanbedrog, north Wales and St David’s Hall in Cardiff, together with many galleries throughout West Wales including Custom House Gallery in Cardigan, Nant y Coy Arts in Haverfordwest and Art Matters Gallery in Tenby.
Please see her Blog Pages for forthcoming exhibitions.

Her work has featured on many television programmes, radio shows and in magazine articles and books. She has won various prizes, awards, commendations and grants including funding of three dimensional work using the lost wax method for bronze casting. Her work features in public and private collections in the UK and abroad.

teaching
Andie has many years of experience of teaching throughout West Wales in the Adult Education sector including Aberystwyth University as outreach tutor, and Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest in the community education sector. She has also run many workshops including MOMA Wales at The Tabernacle in Machynlleth and Nant y Coy Arts near Haverfordwest.

Fifteen years of teaching Life Drawing to secondary school pupils at Cardigan School brought favourable recognition from national examination boards for her students. She twice brought the Royal Academy on an Outreach basis to the school for Life Drawing workshops that were of great and lasting value to the pupils.

open studios
In 1995 she was one of the artists who was instrumental in setting up the highly successful Cardigan Open Studios as an annual summer Arts event, and worked as voluntary co-ordinator over many years.

workshops
Other experience includes running workshops with innovative combinations, such as combining tai chi practice with life drawing, the practice of mixed media landscape through the Eastern approach to problem solving, and musical performance with the exploration of mark making.

Click here for full CV (pdf)

P H I L O S O P H Y

itchy fingers
I have recently self diagnosed myself as having ‘Itchy Finger’ syndrome.
Fortunately this is not a terrible skin complaint requiring daily medication, but actually something quite joyful to me. Wherever I go I have to draw constantly: what I hear, smell, touch, taste and see.

At musical performances, on my daily walks, even waiting in the doctor’s surgery – my fingers get itchy and long to be scribbling. Sketchbook and biro are always with me.

mark making
Back in my studio I digest my initial drawings and life studies, and then progress on from these experiences, employing expressive mark making using unconventional drawing tools, such as the pipette inside ink bottles.
 In my work I revel in the freedom of walking the tightrope between expected results, and the uncontrolled and unexpected that can and does occur by going with the flow.

Favoured methods use acrylic, pastel, ink, charcoal, graphite and mixed media. Strong expressive use of colour and energetic mark making are vitally important to me, as is my continued practice of drawing which I find essential in order to keep my hand and eye singing in tune.

power and spirit
Living surrounded by the dramatic coastal and mountain areas of West Wales has had a profound influence on me. In my colourful expressionistic paintings and drawings of land, sea and sky I am continually seeking to express my emotional response to the power and spirit of nature.

Exploring the rhythmical processes and cycles of nature, its need for balance, and how to listen to its spirit and feels its energy, are also areas explored in my current work, and have direct reference to my long term study and practice of Tai Chi.

personal vision
In my teaching I set out to nurture and develop the personal vision that each of us has if we can only find the key to unlock it. To be able to give someone the confidence to believe in themselves in this way is one of life’s rich rewards.
This approach stems from the way I have taught myself to paint and draw.  Having trained in Graphic Design meant I received no formal education in painting and drawing skills, but I see this as a positive thing as I do not come to my work encumbered by the many ‘rules’ I see my students weighted down by.