My Story
At the heart of my making is the belief in the beauty and sustainability of raw materials.
In our fast and digital world, it is easy to forget the origins of materials and the texture of a cloth, which has been made by hand. In an increasingly throw away culture, I strive to hand spin and hand weave fabrics, which still retain heart because they capture the energy of the fleece and in so doing, may be valued and preserved a little longer. I hope to retain a sense of the landscape from which the plant dyed colours are foraged and the fields in which the sheep grazed. I believe that our rural heritage and craft traditions are precious and in my creative practice I want to invoke their memory, so that they do not slip away.
When making cushions, I approach each one as if I am making an art work, forgetting that the world often views it as a humble cushion and not as a work of art.
I work in a home studio, located on the outskirts of Beverley in East Yorkshire and frequently visit the coastal bay of Flamborough for my design inspiration.
Background
I originally trained as a fine artist and I have had the experience of making and exhibiting art in galleries both in the UK and abroad. Over the years I have worked predominantly as a wall-based sculptor in mixed-media and weaving has been an unexpected development of my creativity. As an artist I have always been interested in the theme of vulnerability and my creativity continues to explore the frequently overlooked beauty and simplicity of humble materials, together with the often-fragile poignancy of human life and its relationship to the landscapes in which we live.
Education
BA (Hons) Fine Art – Nottingham Trent
MA Art and Design - Hull College of Art
Contemporary Constructed Textiles – Bradford College
Crafts Council Hothouse Programme 2020
Recent Exhibitions and Events
New Designers One Year In. The Business Design Centre. London - 07/2021
Artist Residency. Burton Agnes Hall. East Yorkshire – 09/2019
The Country Living Pavillion. The Great Yorkshire Show. Harrogate – 07/2019
Handmade Oxford - 06/2019
In:Site 2018 Birmingham Cathedral Square - 09/2018
MoOD (Meet Only Original Design) Brussels - 09/2018
Press
Country Living Magazine – Modern Rustic No 15, November 2019 - ‘Objects of Desire’
