Introduction...This road we travel...

Not that long ago I was working in a zoo, as part of an award-winning environmental education team. My two daughters were doing well in high school and life with my partner of 20 years was great. My only worry was a 90-minute commute to and from work. Life was great.

Then, in quick succession, I lost my father and was then nearly taken out myself by three near misses on my motorway commute. Sixteen hours in heavy traffic each week was having a toll on my sanity. So I made a choice. Months later I was walking a very different road.

I’ve not had any formal art training after school either (other than a couple of night classes a few years ago), although I have had a life-long interest in painting and drawing.

So it’s still a little surprising to find myself, aged 44, on a new career path as a full-time, self-representing artist. Over the years I’ve often dreamed of being an artist but never quite managed to dive in properly. There was always a reason not to, as well as lots of helpful advice about how it would never pay the bills.

Along the way, I’ve worked as an assistant curator in a museum, a museum demonstrator, a sculptor, a zoo education officer, a school governor, a manager for an amazing formal education zoo team and an illustrator.

Each change in my path brought me something different - births, deaths, dodo skeletons, mortgages, sculpting in Harrods, tracking lions on foot in Kenya (you know, the usual stuff…), and I’ll pad out the interesting bits soon.

I’ll also write about my paintings, the high’s and low’s of where I am now and where this new path will lead me…but it feels like I’m coming home.

So, finally...Hello Steemians, it’s nice to be here at last…