my natural affinity with colour & the tactile feel of cloth is integral to my work

I always carry a small A6 sketchbook, a private reflective space in which to set down my observations. On field trips I spend time immersed in my surroundings making colour studies recording the changing light, textures, lines using my homemade watercolour paints, made using the same pigments I use in the studio. Sketches, fragments of found items are curated into inspiration corners in the studio

through thoughtful consideration of my compiled resources ideas evolve, colour is my starting point, as I reflect so the essence of what a place means becomes apparent

using earth pigments in the soya milk binder I developed, the painterliness is further enhanced by my use of vintage linen and hemp, old cloth that has an existing patina such as worn uneven areas, patching, fraying, holes or seams that take up the pigments differently enriching the textural qualities of the surface

artist statement

Coastal landscape, northern light, human marks that map the land, repetitive rhythms of nature, provide endless inspiration.  I paint and hand stitch on cloth slowly building up layers creating the narrative of place using the muted palette of natural earth pigments.

With an itinerant childhood and enquiring mind maps geography and geology inform my work. Field trips are integral to my research, returning to familiar places to witness the effects of changing weather patterns on the environment.  Drawn to coastal landscapes I endeavour to raise awareness of the connectivity between global oceans, rising tides and the erosion of our fragile coastal horizons. 

Solitary walking is fundamental to my creativity, observing, gathering and recording, making colour studies to capture the changing light I take that focus back into the studio. Curiosity and experimentation drive my exploratory work, adapting fine art techniques using locally sourced natural materials to create a visual language, my collection of observational sketchbooks is an invaluable studio resource. 

Mediative hand stitching is drawing with thread, expressive marks that add colour movement, shading, drawn from my library of adapted traditional stitch techniques. The slow repetition of hand stitching becomes a metaphor for the repetitive rhythms of nature that forms texture and undulations like you find on the earth’s surface.