Hello and welcome

I work from my home on the edge of Southampton in Southern England

I create in various ways making 2 art using acrylic paints, pastels, and a variety of mixed media and surfaces as well as creating imagery with my camera.

The common thread that feeds throughout much of my work links to a desire to connect and share my journey, to tell a story,  and capture a moment in time.

As well as creating work in this way I also work with willow, found, and natural materials.  I have focussed on developing my skills in working with willow. It connects me to earlier traditions which are now adapting and changing,  and there is something very immediate about working with natural materials that are challenging as well as allowing me to develop my own way of working

In recent years I have focussed on making animals and birds with the desire to capture the sense of a character so that they are recognisable  but more than just a replica, and are intentionally unique . I love creating in this way and the connection to times gone by is very important to me as is the desire to share some of this with others.

Making and creating has always been part of my life,  I come from a background where art and creating has always seen as a hobby and not one where you could make a living. In many ways, I have realized that I  am on a journey of discovery, it took me many years to find the confidence to exhibit and sell my work as I didnt come through a traditional arts education route and so it has taken much longer to discover.

I now look back on that time as a great apprenticeship as the experience of sharing and solving problems with others has been so valuable and has enabled me to push my own boundaries.

My work is evolving and becoming more experimental, yes I’m still creating work that people understand and I  still enjoy creating work that others are likely to want in their own home,  but this is just part of what I do and alongside this, I need to balance this with my desire to be more experimental in the way that I create.

I took the plunge to step out of the comfort zone last year when I decided to apply for a talent development grant with a-space arts, I was thrilled to have been chosen alongside nine other artists to receive the award. The funding enabled me to work with a mentor and photographer and also enabled me to spend time creating and experimenting as an artist in residence at Furzey Gardens in Hampshire.

With the restrictions brought about by Covid 19  lockdown, this has delayed my ability to carry on working there.

In the beginning, I couldn’t do anything its strange how having our liberty taken away from us had affected us all in so many different ways.

Bit by bit  I am now refocusing and exploring and spending time revisiting some of my passions and being of use to others.

 

I am often asked where is a good place to start, all I can say is that there is no one way as it depends on the work you create and finding an audience and the approach you take. Just put your self out there, attend local arts community events meet new people, I’ve learned as much from talking to total strangers as I have from chatting to other creatives and equally just because someone offers you advice it doesn’t mean that they are right.

Don’t be put off there is no one way,  we all enjoy different things and you will always find people who love what you do as well as those who don’t, you will need to develop a thick skin, after all, we don’t all like the same things and when someone does connect it can make a big difference.

The arts community in the UK is vast and you will always find people who want to share and connect if your willing to do the same and the internet and social media provide many opportunities to connect with others.

Just keep on evolving and learning your never to old or too young to start, the hardest thing is not giving up when things seem hard. and if your only motivation is to make money then there are many other easier ways to do that.