I joined the Group 15 years ago as a complete beginner and thanks to the encouragement of the Group and our previous tutor Dennis Syrett, painting has become my main hobby. The mediums I use are watercolour for flowers and landscapes, getting inspiration from my garden and more recently a painting trip to Northern Cyprus where I sketched and painted on location, giving me inspiration for many future paintings. I regularly attend classes with John Tyderman for pastel portraiture, which has helped tremendously in dealing with a very difficult medium.