My art process
I work mainly using acrylics and mixed media on wooden panels because this surface is very robust and supports my in-the-moment creativity through the variety of tools and methods I use.
I begin each piece with loose mark making, using big brushes and gestures to put down a layer of energy and movement. Each layer is added and quite often subtracted, overlaid and modified, I am responding to it like it is a living thing, finding my way as I go.
This rhythm and response continues for many layers until the final image is revealed only then the final smaller more delicate and deliberate gestures begin that bring it to completion.
It is very organic process, like choreographing a dance, thus reflecting and referencing my early years training in this area.
Inspired by nature, dance and life.
Being creative has been a running theme throughout my life from dancing, textiles and painting. For me it is a way to express myself and my interpretation of the world in a way that energises my spirit. Inspiration starts when I am outside in nature taking photographs, walking and sitting in the sunshine (which, in England is not very often!)
This love of the natural world developed when I grew up in the Shropshire countryside and continued after I moved to Yorkshire over 20 years ago. I often explore the many stunning areas of Yorkshire, my favourite being the North Yorkshire Moors.
Moroccan workshop
My formal training was in design initially, right up to the completion of my Batcheler of Science Degree in Textile Design at the University of Huddersfield. Then after some time bringing up a family, I began training in art and for the last two and a half years I have been studying under Nicolas Wilton’s Art2life Academy and Creative Visionary Programme. This intensive training has really opened the boundaries of my creativity and knowledge and in doing so it has left a wide space for me to confidently express in my own unique way.
