When I was a child I loved to watch creative programmes. One of the earliest I remember was Vision On presented by Tony Hart and his sidekick Morph. It was aimed at hearing impaired children but it was engaging for everyone. This moved on and Tony Hart did other creative programmes such as Take Hart.

At this stage, art was for fun and the serious stuff at school was Science and Maths. A girl doing Chemistry and Physics in 1970's rural England was a rarity and to be encouraged by parents and teachers.

Having got my Bachelor's degree in Maths and Chemistry, I went on to start a family. That's when I re-established my love for art. I couldn't practise much but read avidly, starting with a book by Tony Hart.

So I guess he was at the root of any inspiration to paint and draw.

As I read more widely, I realised that the impressionists worked in a style I could relate to. Turner and some Van Gogh works also piqued my interest. In particular I liked a number of the waterlillies paintings of Monet and Starry Night by Van Gogh.

More contemporary inspiration has come from David Bellamy whose works were full of the scenes I saw around me in Wales. They were full of atmosphere and light. They were accessible and there were hints and tips on how to paint, particularly in Watercolour. I have many of his books and even bought a new one recently.

I now need inspiration on how to get good at selling!

Todays picture is so impressionistic it borders on the abstract. It's completed in oils on canvas and will be on show at my exhibition in less than a fortnight. I hope you like it.

Who are your favourite artists or paintings? Do you aspire to being a professional artist?

I'd love to hear from you :-)