about me
I am a multi-media artist, based in Brighton, combining paint and embroidery on canvas. My artworks are a distillation of what captivates and inspires me. I find magic in things that other people might pass by, the ordinary and imperfection of daily life. I love markets and secondhand shops, where you might find treasures; opening forgotten boxes to rediscover things from the past. I’m particularly drawn to vintage textiles and more recently I have become very interested in the arts and crafts from pre-history and how humans evolved to be creative.
Originally from the Midlands and having completed a Fine Art degree in Cheltenham in 1994, I spent most of my twenties divided between travel and creating commissioned artwork for public commercial spaces. I later evolved my travels to incorporate regular solo shows of my artwork in Australia and the UK, as well as taking part in Art Fairs worldwide.
Over these three decades my work has also been used in collaborations with fine art publishers, advertising campaigns, book covers and illustration. Collaborations include Ikea, Habitat, Toyota, Bonnie Prince Billy, Australian fashion brand Gorman and Sussex potter Rachel Entwistle.
creative practice
The process of each painting is patient and meditative, I can’t rush them. I head into each canvas with no clear path, taking my time as the raw canvas leaves little room for adjustment. In the last few years I have been nurturing my lifelong passion for textiles and have been learning a variety of fiber crafts including free warp tapestry, knotted netting, looping, split-ply weaving and embroidery.
This work is about people and connection, as well as simplicity and gratitude for everyday happenings. How we know ourselves through the people around us. The preciousness of loved ones, the thrill of chance encounters, people you see daily but don’t know their names. Our habitual goat paths - or desire lines - become the grooves by which we navigate our daily lives.
There is a sense of communing with creativity, channelling the simplest of intentions and seeing where it leads. Using an abstract language of personal motifs and found shapes, I see these works as conversations; an abstract language conversing inwardly and outwardly. There is space for the viewer to be invited in to play, explore and interpret.
At its core my work is always striving towards joy, play and connection - the attributes I think bring out the best in humanity.
Ant Gray invited me to do an interview with him in 2016. It was special because the questions evolved organically as we shared our thoughts and insights. Much more like a real heart to heart than a formal interview.
I hope you enjoy it.
Read it here.
In 2023 Lucy from ‘Becoming An Artist’ podcast contacted me about being on her show and as a podcast lover I couldn’t resist. I loved chatting with Lucy and felt we really got into some of the less talked about aspects of being creative. Check it out!
Listen to it here