artist statement

I create richly coloured and textured mixed media collages and prints, currently mainly inspired by my longstanding interest in Indian culture and beliefs.

I have always been fascinated by India. 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.

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.

“Holy River Ganges” is created using some of the 108 poetic phrases used to describe that most holy of Indian rivers. “ In The Heart Of Rajasthan “ is evocative of my visit to the Thar Desert where a lady, child or camel would always appear as from nowhere through the haze of heat.

Recently I have started making small edition runs of screenprints. The process of screenprinting is something which I greatly enjoy, pulling the squeegee across the mesh and lifting the screen to reveal the next layer of coloured marks.