Printmaking is an adventure – you never know where it will lead and it constantly surprises!
Growing up surrounded by the natural beauty of the Cotswolds; the animals and plants of my childhood delighted and enthralled me. It was whilst studying for my BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Exeter that my fascination with printmaking began and quickly joined my passion for paint. My life-long love of drawing underpins all I do, whether it’s the physicality of creating a drypoint by scratching an image directly into the surface of a metal plate, carving fluid lines through a softened block of lino, or the sinuous movement of the brush on a silk screen, it all comes back to drawing.
As for my inspiration it is still very much the flora and fauna around me. Walking in the countryside means I get to see first-hand the effect of the changing seasons on the appearance of plants in the hedgerows and the animals in the fields. Working from my garden studio, my inspiration is also quite literally on my doorstep. Often my subjects come to me, like the Blackbird who’s inspired the vibrant series of limited editioned screen prints fizzing with colour. I can get a little colour obsessed when screen printing, layering transparent and opaque inks over one another again and again before arriving at the final image. I gain so much pleasure from what I do. I sincerely hope some of the joy I experience when creating it, is passed on when others view my work.