Since I was a child I have been fascinated by biology, the natural world and our place within it. Natural processes, systems, cycles, disruptions and anomalies are all a source of inspiration for me. Art and Science have always led the way hand in hand, with their shared sense of curiosity and investigation.
I love the act of learning and I gained a fine art degree (specialism printmaking) from the University of the West of England, UWE in 1998, after which I trained to become a teacher at postgraduate level. I have been working as a teacher of art for 21 years and am currently reigniting my passion for art through my own practice.
I make sculptures, prints and drawings and my works are semi abstract and organic. They are inspired by fungi, slime moulds, sea creatures, trees, plants, lichens... the list goes on. I have had a life-long interest in nature. At the moment I am learning a huge amount about fungi and slime moulds, which are truly magical and we are just beginning to understand their importance in terms of the health, balance and ecology of our planet.
I love nothing better than rummaging through the undergrowth in woods, fields and other outdoor spaces looking for species and forms to work with. I am constantly delighted by my "finds" when I am out walking or in my garden. I treat my excursions to the outdoors a little bit like treasure hunts, taking photographs and sometimes collecting wonderful natural gems.
Life on Earth is complex, intriguing and mysterious. We will never know all there is to know. In the words of the wonderful cosmologist Carl Sagan " There are exhilarating discoveries yet to be made. It's the best possible world".
As well as enjoying "natural gems" which are obviously beautiful, I also really love finding treasures which are a little bit out of the ordinary; strange, decayed or downright weird and yucky will do it for me!
My work explores the spaces between perceived opposites, such as beauty/ ugliness, science/ magic, perfection/ imperfection, order/ disorder to name a few. To me these polarities are simply aspects of each other, rather than opposing categories or forces.
I hope that my work communicates the sense of fascination, awe and wonder that I feel every day when interacting with and learning about the natural world and the mystery of forces which we know a little about. I hope my work is beautiful (but not just beautiful!), intriguing, delightful and strangely fascinating. I am wonder-smitten.