A soon as I found time in my life for any sort of art practice, I knew that I wanted to be a printmaker.
I live and work in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, on the edge the village where the trees begin.
A soon as I found time in my life for any sort of art practice, I knew that I wanted to be a printmaker. Before that point I taught English in schools and colleges in London, Bristol and Gloucestershire, and brought up my four children, fitting in an evening class when I could, and eventually taking a drawing course with the Open College of the Arts. All my teachers have been impressive in their own work, and inspiring.
Over the past decade I have taught myself about the processes and apparatus of relief printing through trial and error, and by dint of a good deal of reading. Early in 2016 I bought a Rolloco etching press. This is an excellent piece of machinery and allows me to make larger prints with much greater ease and accuracy. I make quite complex reduction prints, building up many layers of ink to create painterly effects. Even after the last colour has been printed, unexpected changes can take place as the inks slowly dry on the paper.
The designs for my relief prints generally begin with an idea, which prompts me to go looking for the material I need, whether it’s a still life arrangement, a life drawing or a detail of landscape. I put these together in a drawing which I transfer to a single block of lino, before starting the cutting process.
My academic background is in English Literature, so perhaps it's not surprising that I lean towards story telling in my work. Since 2017 I have been exploring the presentation of ordinary life set alongside the legend of Hafren, spirit of the River Severn, in an ongoing series.
Since 2014 I have exhibited my work at a variety of venues in the Forest of Dean, and at the RWA in Bristol. Since 2017 I have taken part in the farOpen art trail held in the area between the Severn and the Wye.