Clay
Vitrine Collection
Have you collected conkers as a child or pebbles from a beach? Did you enjoy adventures in the woods, exhilarated by running as fast as you can and climbing trees? Have you felt the breeze on your face, heard bird’s song or enjoyed the colours of the trees in autumn?
Mother nature’s magical gifts and treasures cannot be improved upon, but we need to preserve them. Will these beautiful organic wonders which evolved over centuries survive for future generations to enjoy?
By encasing seed heads and plants in many fine layers of hand painted porcelain, I am preserving the delicate structure and surfaces of these treasures.
There is a long history of found ceramic items informing us about aspects of life from previous centuries. Ceramics do not disintegrate, as the seed heads and plants ultimately will do, but remain to tell their story.
The act of placing these pieces in a glass vitrine immediately focuses attention on them and suggests that they might be both precious and vulnerable. The vitrine reinforces the notion of the unique and untouchable and enhances the visual power of an object to catch a viewer’s attention and stimulate contemplation.
Ornithological Collection
Mesmerised by the vitality of garden birds, I have created delicate white bird forms. The wings and tails are impressed with hand stitched textiles, embellished with oxides and glaze. They are displayed perched on wood or flying free.
Cloth
My textile work is based upon an exploration of diverse textiles in mixed media, assemblages to evoke and celebrate positive memories and experiences.
Concern about our throw-away culture means, where possible I prefer fabrics which have been given to me or sourced from charity shops. I reuse and repurpose scraps and samples and explore how to combine and layer them with small objects and cherished items. I use hand and machine stitch to create new treasured pieces.
My current practice involves transforming embroidered cloths into beautiful, useful or poignant objects
Commissions can be undertaken to celebrate your own adventures and memories.
Workshops
Having taught pottery workshops with MIND for 12 years, I continue to be inspired by teaching. Teaching and engaging with students passes on the joy of creating and helping people to find balance in their lives.
I currently teach textile workshops, inspired by the tactile nature of fabric, together with learning a new skill. This involves all aspects of the mind and physical senses, and in a calm, creative and friendly environments, students are able to forget their worries and stresses.