In 1993 she was asked to work as curator of exhibitions at First Light media centre, organising shows for both local and national artists. At the same time she was also working as a freelance arts journalist for Punter magazine in Sussex, interviewing artists and galleries, and writing articles on a monthly basis. During this period she continued to exhibit, showing in England and abroad, working to commission, and being featured and interviewed regularly in the media.
Since 1988 she has been painting professionally and has had numerous solo and mixed exhibitions. Sylvia's paintings are regularly exhibited at prestigious galleries in East Anglia, London and further afield. Her work has been selected for exhibition at the Mall Galleries on several occasions, including the Pastel Society, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Laing Landscape Exhibition. Sylvia was elected to the East Anglia Group of Marine Artists in 2003, exhibiting with them two or three times per year. For a number of years Sylvia has demonstrated her expressive and colourful paintings to art clubs and societies.
In May 2004 and again in June 2005, Sylvia was artist in residence at Burton Agnes Hall, a stately home in Yorkshire, and produced a number of works inspired by the interior and gardens. Sylvia was invited by Wordwrite Associates to lead a painting holiday in The French Alps in 2005. In 2006 she also led a weekend workshop at Chateau Ribagnac made famous by the Channel 4 programme "No Going Back". During the painting weekend the film crew were back filming for a follow up programe to be screened in 2006. Sylvia's painting of the Chateau is available as a limited edition print. Norwich Union have purchased two of Sylvia's mixed media collages for their head office in Fenchurch Street.