TEXTILES
From using threads occasionally on paper works a cold studio in the winter has meant a development of a whole new genre of works. My use of fabric and stitching is a link back to not only the ancient past but the era of the embroidered sampler and the extraordinary talent of unsung women. I am very much captivated by the combination of the domesticity of the process and the more gritty side of my subject matter. Using fabric and thread has become an extension of my mark making. The ancient-ness of the purpose fits neatly with my subject matter as were originally made to make rooms warmer, less draughty, the embellishment, design, pattern "art-side”, if you like, was added in response to our human need to have things around us which comfort, tell a story, educate and please.
PAINTING
Painting is meditative, absorbing and demanding. It is, perhaps, the final link to the ancient cave drawings I find so compelling. Painting is about the painting
I make a lot of Monotypes (i.e. original prints with out editions so each work is unique). The monotype as an art form is not as elevated as it should be. They can be made in so many many ways from the graphic to the drawn and painterly.
The works below are mainly monotype series of varying length.
MIXED MEDIA
Collage features heavily in my practice. It is a form of planning, thinking and making studies for other works. However often it becomes more that and pieces develop into fully fledge works in their own right.
MASKS
What started out as lock down folly has turned into quite an interesting addition to my practice.