We moved from Oxfordshire to St Ives in 2000 and my mixed media paintings are inevitably influenced by this new life on the edge of the sea. A subtle palette of blue and greys usually dominates my work and although it reflects the colours of Penwith, strangely it has always been my favourite colour since a child. Frequent sources of inspiration are grid formations, architecture, and decayed and textured surfaces, but many of my paintings are an intuitive exploration of texture, pushing the materials where the outcome is unknown. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! This experimental aspect of my work is very important to me and I thrive on the unpredictable. 

 

Many of my paintings, hangings, artist’s books and book sculptures feature layers of applied papers and a variety of textures that create a rich and interesting surface. An important part of much of my work is the inclusion of fragments of personal and found letters, vintage texts and 3D treasures found on beach walks and rummaging in junk shops. I also like to use quotations and ‘words of wisdom’ in my paintings. 

 

I also produce a range of jewellery using semi-precious stones which is shown I galleries across the country. I am part of Back Road Artworks in St Ives, a collective of nine local artists; and I regularly teach mixed media workshops in the studio in my St Ives cottage garden.