I am Welsh, born in the countryside of Ceredigion to a cultured family with many books. I grew up on a smallholding which kept three cows, one pig and goats. There is no tradition of women having a career outside the house in my family. I was the first person in the family to go to art college. I am one of the first women from this background to have a successful career as a visual artist.

I've exhibited extensively since the mid-sixties, in Wales, the rest of Britain and internationally. In 2008 I received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales. I was one of three artists chosen to exhibit work from Wales in China in 2009. The other two artists were Christine Mills and Iwan Bala. I also contributed to the Wales Smithsonian Festival in Washington DC in 2009. My work reflects my response to special places, history, culture and identity. It’s satisfying that many Welsh people collect my work, and I enjoy getting a positive response to my pieces.

I am very interested in developments in the Art world at the beginning of the twentieth century: artists such as Henry Mattisse, Kandinsky, and Paul Klee. I enjoy the work of Roger Cecil from Abertillery who died in 2015.

The foundation of the work is a relationship with the natural world, e.g., marks left by mining works; marshes; the shelters and wild places of Ceredigion. History over the centuries and legends associated with special places are also important to me.

I’ve also been influenced by the philosopher J. R. Jones who made a strong connection between the land and the language associated with it.

I go to special places in the country and quickly makes notes in pencil on 8"x10'' paper. If it’s an interesting idea, I then work in the studio on a larger scale. I will work on pieces for weeks, sometimes months. I sometimes add or change something years later.

I work in watercolour on paper. I add crayon and candlewax or sand or grit to create an interesting texture. On canvas, I favour oil paint. In the 1970s and 80s I also used colour on cotton to create a connection with traditional women's work: patchwork and rag mats.

Developing personal layered language in response to specific locations is the foundation of my work. My awareness of belonging to a minority nation has grown stronger over the period of over fifty years and has led to many of the expressions present in my recent work. I want to show that I am Welsh, with a special relationship with the history and literature of Wales over the centuries. I use Ogam carvings; early stone age marks; Iolo Morganwg’s bardic alphabet; letters and handwriting, such as the words of Wales' favourite poets. To this, I now add a new perspective based on more recent maps and images taken by drones. Trawsfynydd was used as a firing range for the army from 1903, leaving geometric marks on the landscape. I contrast these marks with Hedd Wyn's words and geological formations.

I've become aware of the work of Professor J. R. Jones and his special book Prydeindod (Britishness). I've borrowed some of his expressions, such as "the fury of separation" and "interpenetration" to emphasize my Welshness in the compositions. Developing a personal language in colour contrast has been central to me for over fifty years.