artist statement

I create richly coloured and textured mixed media collages and limited edition silkscreen prints. My inspiration is derived from my travels, to countries as diverse as India and Greece. My collages and prints are not representations of places, but contain elements from the seen world mixed with my own emotional responses and experiences.

India in particular has always fascinated me. The hot vibrant colours, the jewel like palaces, the shimmering iridescent qualities of Indian architecture and fabric, and the myriad aspects of Hinduism - all have influenced aspects of my work.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to experience India at first hand and travelled around the vibrant desert state of Rajasthan, ventured into the Thar Desert on a camel and experienced first hand the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the River Ganges.

Bold and expressive colour combinations have always excited me. Having been trained in textiles, experimentation with colour, shape and texture is something which comes naturally. I have always been fascinated by the visual effects of colours very close in tone ,and this has been a preoccupation within my work as long as I can remember.

Screenprinting especially allows me to experiment with vibrant colour combinations and textures. I begin by printing areas of flat colour and then overlay textures, and, quite often, text. The resulting images exist only as prints. They are not copies of paintings or collages.

My work combines print, collage and stitch, and often includes the use of text. The inclusion of text has become an important part of my work ,as a way of directly conveying my experiences and thoughts, and as something visually interesting in it’s own right.

The “ Delavoyas “ and “ Andros” prints, inspired by aspects of my favourite Greek island, Andros, are a new departure. The colours, although not obviously reminiscent of a Greek island, are all colours I have observed while walking around – a purple door, bright red bougainvillea, terracotta roof tiles – while the text is my personal response to the island I love.