I began my printing journey in 2003 during my art degree at Leeds Met university where I focused on etching and screen printing. After leaving university with no business skills, I did not know how to pursue my dream of making a living from my art, so I trained to be a primary school teacher. In 2018, I gave birth to my daughter and I was lucky enough to be able to go back to work part-time and this is when I really started a consistent art practice again.
I spend my weekends out walking in East Sussex with my husband, daughter and dog tracking fairies and deer whilst my husband takes photos of mushrooms. During the summer months, I can be found in my garden willing my seedlings to grow whilst trying to embrace the snails. I don’t know who said it but I live by, “If there is nothing eating your garden, then it’s not part of the ecosystem”.
All my inspiration for my art comes from my walks, gardening and also my love of reading about folklore and local history.
My Process
It all starts by transferring the image in my head to paper.
The sketch is then transferred to the linoleum. More detail is added at this stage.
Using a mixture of pfeil and flexcut gouges, the lino is carved.
Using Cranfield safe-wash inks, the image is hand printed using a silver spoon and a Slama press.
Whilst the print is drying, the watercolour elements are painted and carefully cut out using an excel blade.
The linocut and watercolour pieces are carefully layered by slicing into the linocut print so that there is a balance of watercolour and linocut print in the foreground and background.
Artist Statement
My mixed media pieces are created to honour the resourcefulness and magic of nature when left to make its own complex story. I weave together my watercolours pieces and my lino-cut prints in order to depict the interlacing biodiversity that exists in the wild. One thing relies on another. I live in East Sussex and my art depicts this as every idea is inspired by this wonderful and wild part of the world.
