I have always enjoyed being creative and in my early painting years Helena Anderson, a well-known local artist and teacher, was inspirational but family and work commitments limited my time. Then I took a "now or never" jump. The Access course at the College of West Anglia gave me the freedom to experiment and develop along with learning to use new materials.

As a local artist I take inspiration from the Norfolk countryside, coast and waterways as well as further afield. Imagining what lies beneath the surface, increasingly my work reflects that hidden world. The power of nature also stimulates my creativity. I aim for my work to express energy and light.

My natural curiosity combined with a low boredom threshold takes me down new paths just to see where they lead. Sometimes I, then, double back to combine something new with a tried and tested technique.

Using complex layers and mixed media I like to build on experience and experiment with new methods.

My use of resin has followed on from my treatment of acrylics with various media. It is the most infuriating sticky stuff to work with and needs a degree of technical precision but at the same time can flow magically and brings a three dimensional aspect to the pieces. Combining it with the acrylic under painting allows me to express energy and movement while the resin adds depth and that edge of unpredictability, the imperfections ensure every piece is truly original.

As a member of the West Norfolk Artists Association I have valued the opportunity to exhibit and valuable feedback.

I have been selling my work for a few years now, it’s always a great feeling when someone else tunes into work that I have created. If you're interested in any pieces you've seen on my website email me at art@michelesummers.co.uk.

The furthest any piece has travelled, to my knowledge, is Argentina!

I’ve had my work voted for by the public as the most popular piece in a show and won the Syd Davison prize for Best in Show with one of my first resin pieces “Wave Form” in the WNAA summer exhibition.

I don't often have a lot of pieces available at any one time but I'm always shaping the next evolution of my work...