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S t o r y
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Education & career
Some form of art has been with me as far as I can remember and was my foremost expression as a child. At 16 I was accepted onto a design course at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, progressing on to a degree in Visual Communication. I have been a graphic designer for almost 25 years and freelance since 2003. Creativity and self-expression has always been there for me to help me out of darker spots and guided me towards a sense of inner peace and joy
Creative exploration
My itch to reconnect with the arts away from the computer began by rediscovering my love for creative writing in 2009 and a few years later deciding I wanted to learn to play the drums. Through that I was gifted a ceramics course at MAC Birmingham which proved a turning point in hands-on expression and control – literally, via wheelwork. I straight away signed up for more. Over the years, though, my attempts at drawing and painting had proved frustrating and short-lived. I got too preoccupied with how things should look and the pre-conceived outcome. In many ways I was scared to try again, but something happened in spring 2019 to entice me into an arts shop and changed all that. It suddenly felt like the right time. I bought a pack of inks and a pad of watercolour paper and spent weeks surprising myself by consistently painting, practising observational skills until I ventured to try something new. The earlier works on this website are the result of one random thought: "I wonder what will happen if I try drawing whilst meditating?" It was the simultaneous use of paint, rhythm and meditation that proved my breakthrough in producing art like I'd never done before. My ink paintings are a subconscious dive to access feelings, emotions and tap into surrounding and collective energies.
What my abstract work is about...
I like to explore themes and concepts and to play with mark-making, tools and textures. Any session might be an expression of emotion, energy, colour, or something I've been reading about that peaks my interest. This may be personal, current, historical, spiritual or collective, simply delving into a concept that fascinates me. The work itself provides the visual answers, which is what working with the subconscious is all about. In truth, I enjoy the surprise of the end result and the way a piece seems to decide for itself when it is done, similar to playing a drum rhythm for a period of time: at some point, it naturally fades out and stops, it has nothing more to say.
AffiliationsAIR (Arts In Redditch) 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
LSA (Leamington Studio Artists) Member 2020, 2021, 2022 Worcestershire Open Studios Member 2021 Shows & eventsAIR Popup Galleries, Redditch
Kingfisher Centre Popup Gallery, Nov 2019 Bertie Crewe Gallery, Palace Theatre, Redditch, Jan/Feb 2020 Kingfisher Centre Popup Gallery, July 2021 Kingfisher Centre Popup Gallery, May 20212 Art in the Park Festival (with LSA) Art in the Park Festival 2020 *Event cancelled* Art in the Park Festival 2021 Art in the Park Festival 2022 MAC Birmingham Summer Arts Markets 2020 *Events cancelled* Christmas Arts Markets 2021 Arts Markets 2022 |
