I am a textile artist living on the side of a mountain in South Wales, UK.
My art is about capturing a moment, a certain something that can evoke memories and feelings that connect with the viewer. I tend to work with fibre, fabric, threads, paint, hand and machine stitch, and text to recreate something heartfelt and special.
My work is mainly inspired by life experiences. From the everyday things around me such as nature, landscapes, seascape, and family, to sitting in a field watching the sunset whilst having a glass of wine. There is always something to inspire my work.
I enjoy the challenge and anticipation of creating a new piece of artwork and searching around my studio for colour, texture and inspiration. This is mainly sourced from pre-loved materials which I hoard until I find the perfect match between project and textile.
My love of sewing started in my teens when I had the opportunity to use my mother’s sewing machine. I often chopped and altered my clothes to create unique, one-off pieces and later made clothes for my children.
It wasn’t until my children were in school, that indulged my passion and started formal training to develop my skills. After studying Art and Design at college, I was hooked and in 1999 I attended university and now have a first-class honour degree in Graphic Design.
Despite studying Graphic Design, it was always fabric, paper, stitch and layers that took my interest. I love the way fabric frays and how torn paper reveals its fibres; there is something therapeutic about allowing materials to relax into a less confined form.
Inspiration can strike at any time and in unexpected ways. Whist studying, I saw a house with a drainpipe and a window wrapped in brown paper. The owner was chipping off render to take their home back to its original state. This adding and removing of layers fascinated me and led me to explore ideas of covering over memories of the past only to then reveal them again. These themes weave themselves into my art; laying a foundation, adding concealing layers but often cutting or tearing away to reveal what’s underneath.
Each piece I create is as unique as the experiences, emotions and memories that inspired it.
