Dogs

Dogs have been an important part of my life — I grew up with whippets. My first dog was a Norwich Terrier cross called Rummy; we lived at the time in a caravan and she rode in an open box on the back of my scooter everywhere. However, although friendly, she did not like any of my boyfriends.

My very first bronze sculpture was a whippet called Pimms. When I finally was able to own another dog I was living in Somerset and had set my heart on a Norwegian Buhund — I finally found Odd Dog. Oddie was a beautiful cream curly-tailed Spits with lovely black eye make-up.

I wanted to specialise in bronze dog sculptures and did a lot of portraits, sketches and painting as well as bronzes. A friend's show setter named Hugo was the next — and a bassett called Fred who would only sleep; nothing would wake him. Meat, bones, biscuits — he ignored everything, so frustrating. One of the hunt puppies being walked did the biggest pee you could imagine, all over the kitchen; and Ben, a bull terrier, would leap through the air like a ballerina.

"All such characters — and great fun to catch their personalities."