Exhibitions, installations and work on show...
Both the work I create myself and work created through projects in schools and with community groups is frequently exhibited and installed in many different spaces. I'm really interested in exploring the possibilities of putting creations in different - non-traditional - gallery spaces and also in creating work in response to specific places.
My work is driven and inspired by a life long love and explorations of the natural world – a connection to nature, natural resources and the land feeds into all projects I work on. I’m interested in exploring the relationship between people and places, looking at landscapes and buildings and the stories and histories associated with them. I’m fascinated by tales, words and narratives – real and imagined – and the shadows and traces left on journeys made by humans and other creatures. I work with photography, print, old books and text, found objects, natural materials and fabrics – combining and layering together images, words, textures and thoughts.
I’ve worked on many commissions, exhibitions and installations all over the UK. Recently I’ve been working with Scarthin Books in Cromford with my fellow artist Katy Doncaster to create installations in the Art Room and the Childrens Book Room. My work was also recently exhibited as part of Sherwood Art Week, Nottingham. Other commissions have included work with Calke Abbey and Clumber Park (National Trust), with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, with Lakeside Children’s Festival (Nottingham), with Rufford Park as well as various private commissions.
Both the work I create myself and work created through projects in schools and with community groups is frequently exhibited and installed in many different spaces. I'm really interested in exploring the possibilities of putting creations in different - non-traditional - gallery spaces and also in creating work in response to specific places.
My work is driven and inspired by a life long love and explorations of the natural world – a connection to nature, natural resources and the land feeds into all projects I work on. I’m interested in exploring the relationship between people and places, looking at landscapes and buildings and the stories and histories associated with them. I’m fascinated by tales, words and narratives – real and imagined – and the shadows and traces left on journeys made by humans and other creatures. I work with photography, print, old books and text, found objects, natural materials and fabrics – combining and layering together images, words, textures and thoughts.
I’ve worked on many commissions, exhibitions and installations all over the UK. Recently I’ve been working with Scarthin Books in Cromford with my fellow artist Katy Doncaster to create installations in the Art Room and the Childrens Book Room. My work was also recently exhibited as part of Sherwood Art Week, Nottingham. Other commissions have included work with Calke Abbey and Clumber Park (National Trust), with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, with Lakeside Children’s Festival (Nottingham), with Rufford Park as well as various private commissions.
When creating my own artwork I work with many materials - and explore ways of layering text, colour, patterns, textures and objects. I try and create work that explores stories, asks questions and contains little pondering thoughts. I’m driven by life-long love of nature and much of my work is deeply inspired by the landscape around me - the ancient Derbyshire woodland and rivers as well as the remnants of human journeys.
I’m fascinated by tales, words and narratives – real and imagined – and the shadows and traces left on journeys made by humans and other creatures. I love the quirks of human nature and the urge to collect, arrange, classify and store things – especially when this touches on objects that many people would overlook. I work with photography, print, old books and text, found objects, natural materials and fabrics – combining and layering together images, words, textures and thoughts.
I've used old books and text in my work for many years - both as a surface to print, draw and collage onto but also as a source of paper to fold and shape and sculpt. Recently I've been creating a series of pieces created with whole books, usually these books have come from charity shops or skips - I work with the subject matter of each book to create pieces that give new life to something that had been gathering dust, tucked away and no longer wanted, turning them into objects which highlight certain aspects of the original book.
I’m fascinated by tales, words and narratives – real and imagined – and the shadows and traces left on journeys made by humans and other creatures. I love the quirks of human nature and the urge to collect, arrange, classify and store things – especially when this touches on objects that many people would overlook. I work with photography, print, old books and text, found objects, natural materials and fabrics – combining and layering together images, words, textures and thoughts.
I've used old books and text in my work for many years - both as a surface to print, draw and collage onto but also as a source of paper to fold and shape and sculpt. Recently I've been creating a series of pieces created with whole books, usually these books have come from charity shops or skips - I work with the subject matter of each book to create pieces that give new life to something that had been gathering dust, tucked away and no longer wanted, turning them into objects which highlight certain aspects of the original book.
In projects with schools and community groups I seek to always work in a way that always puts process, exploration, child-led learning and children's voices at the complete heart of everything. This often means that no tangible "object" is created - though I always seek to document and record projects so that there is a strong record of the creativity that has taken place. Sometimes, though, a product is generated and exhibited - and this feels a very important way of advocating for children's creativity and for voices to be heard.
Examples of this include recent projects with Dunkirk Primary School such as the Protest Art Exhibition, the Clay Tiles installation and the Flock of Birds. Older projects have included the Creatability Early Years project in West Sussex.
Examples of this include recent projects with Dunkirk Primary School such as the Protest Art Exhibition, the Clay Tiles installation and the Flock of Birds. Older projects have included the Creatability Early Years project in West Sussex.
I really relish working on projects to create artwork for specific places. This happens frequently in education / community projects and also in commissions I work both by myself and with other artists. Recent examples of this have included Working with Katy Doncaster to create two permanent installations in rooms at Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire.