Since as far back as I can remember I have been a painter and a maker.
I have had a long Civil Service career and in 2001 I was working with the Princes Trust and realised that I was being recognised for my creative skills. I decided I was in the wrong job and took up serious study with the Open College of Art. I left my job in 2002 and continued formal study at my local college. In 2006, specialising in textiles, I gained a foundation diploma in Art and Design with distinction.
My work is intensely personal, exploring the connection between landscape, memories and relationships. My experiences are demonstrated within the layers. I work with mixed media, free embroidery, re-cycled materials, paint and image transfer, manipulating and changing until I achieve an organic representation of the chosen subject.
Throughout my studies I have continued to paint, as my confidence has grown, the larger my paintings have become! I work on two or three pieces at a time, textile work and paintings overlap and are often connected.
Starting a painting is a very serious, intense and obsessive process! I spend a great deal of time preparing the background, not always using a brush; I will add layers of colours in order to achieve what I am aiming for. I think the flower paintings are a vehicle for my love of colour and also a way of immortalising a thing of extreme beauty, which has a very short life.
I am interested in interior design and contemporary minimalist living, although my own choices are eclectic. I take into consideration traditional and current trends when developing an idea. My intention is to enhance a living or work space with colour, vibrancy and spirit.
My paintings are on stretched canvas using high quality acrylic paint. The sides are painted so there is no need for framing. a final treatment with acrylic varnish protects the painting against scratches, dust, ultra-violet alteration and humidity.
My work is represented by:
Mooch Gallery of Dreams
88 Oldham Street
Manchester
M4 1LF
Opening on 26th June 2006
Go to "links" page to visit gallery web site.
Studio:
1st Floor Mill 2
Woodend Mill
Manchester Road,(A635)
Mossley
Lancashire
OL5 9AY
Please e-mail me if you wish to visit.