Being a classically trained opera singer, soprano, photographer and poet, it may seem that I have too many feet in one creative pool at the same time; far from it.

My art is not watered down; in fact, they paddle around happily together, as can be seen in Ice Dance, my first combined collection of my photography and poetry for Kindle. The scene is set in Wales, where I was with a pen and a camera.

Throughout Ice Dance’s freezing journey, I interwove the theme of dance and performance into the life cycle of ice. Once Upon an Ice Time begins with its crystal birth, passing through its lustrous glaze on glass, the stilling of water, and the pinpointing of nature, to its melt-down and death. It fascinates, entraps and wraps everything as it goes, just like a fairy tale; but there can be no, happily ever after end for ice.

Life hasn’t exactly been straightforward, but it has undoubtedly been one of performance.

First, my desire to explore my voice and music led me to Cardiff College of Music and Drama, where I performed extensively in concert halls and Cathedrals in South Wales as a classical singer.

I was born in Chichester and brought up until the age of nine on RAF Camps, where my father was a flying officer.

Then the scene changed dramatically. We moved to Cilwhybert Farm, South Wales, from concrete parade squares, aircraft hangers and guarded gates, to fields, woods, farm gates and hedges; these became the inspiration for The Hedge, my first collection of poetry. While at College, I visited the home of a coal mining family in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, the inspiration for my narrative poem "David of the Mines," a prizewinning poem in the Sotheby’s International Poetry Competition in 1982, presented to me by Sir Stephen Spender and published by the Arvon Foundation.

That was a great evening. I met Ted Hughes. He said he knew I was a musician by the way I wrote, assonance and rhythm, and that no poet could be great without also being a musician. I was proud that my mother, Alpha, an unpublished poet, came too and pointed out many great poets that night.

I toured Ireland, reading my poems in all the major Universities, and was filmed at Belfast Art Gallery for Ulster TV and the BBC. On another unique occasion, Plácido Domingo performed some of my poems in Germany at a dinner with Adidas.

The singing and poetry led to many national BBC broadcasts, including being a guest on Woman’s Hour, Radio One,  BBC Radio Scotland, a Robert Burns performance from The Edinburgh Festival, Radio Merseyside, and as Liverpool Garden Festival Soprano, where in 1984 I gave a recital of poetry and songs in Liverpool Cathedral. I was recently a guest on the BBC Radio Roy Noble Show.

In 2003, a photograph of a sheep and lamb won a Daily Telegraph competition and was published by Travelman, in Liberty, a” portrait of life in rural Britain.

It was used in Clarissa Dickson-Wright's article, Food. My portrait work encompasses 1980s-90s Merseyside poets, Iron Press, and most recently, Ylolfa, including the portrait cover of Dixie McNeil’s book, Dixie, as well as other actors with the Fuelen Theatre, such as Peter Read’s plays, posters, and portraits.

Principal Soprano Rona Campbell with the Metropolitana de Caracas, Venezuela. 1981.

Another great upheaval for my children and me was from the Cotswolds to Caracas, South America, where I became a principal soprano with the Opera de Caracas. My children thrived in good schools and enjoyed the excellent and tropical outdoors, including swimming, sports, and a good family life.

Where am I today?

2011 was a turning point for my photography.  I was introduced to Yolo Williams of North Wales Arts through Dave Grey, Director of Fusion in Wrexham.  This led me to apply for a grant for Ice Dance, which was awarded an Arts Council of Wales Grant. It arrived on my birthday in 2011, and I had two bookings in Art Galleries for 2013: Denbigh Art Gallery in September 2013 and Letchworth Art Centre and Gallery in Hertfordshire in January 2013, which followed.

This winter has been challenging due to the lack of ice and snow. The challenge hasn’t been an easy waltz. More a frantic dash to reach places high enough where ice still existed beyond sunrise; in the shade along river banks or dangling from waterfalls before it melted. I was frozen, either to the spot by its beauty, but more often than not, soaked, crouching under banks, water seeping in everywhere; wet legs and feet, and blue fingers, and a drive home seated on plastic bags to protect the car seat.  But what an experience! Quite alone with not a bird or sheep in sight, with the new ice world tucked away in my Canon camera, I could not have been happier.

The grant also allowed me to purchase new camera equipment and a computer, set up a website, and visit galleries to promote my work, where I met other photographers and artists from all over Wales. I joined Arts Business Wales and completed three courses. Finally, comes the printing and framing; it's a great learning curve in just three months, from January to March. Every step forward demanded new skills and people to help me. A new computer was the last straw, but it was necessary.

Ice Dance will be available for exhibition from May 2012.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with me for enquiries and commissions via the contact me form.