“As a child I was always drawing and making things so it seemed inevitable that I would attend an Art Foundation course. This led to my direct exposure to textiles as an art medium and in 1979 I obtained a BA in Textiles/Fashion specialising in Embroidery from Birmingham Polytechnic, one of the few colleges offering Embroidery as a specialism at that time. This was followed by a year at Goldsmiths College, London to receive an Art Teachers certificate. I then combined creation of original artwork with education, including 25 years as a part time Adult Education Tutor teaching textiles and design in Derbyshire. I have exhibited widely and completed commissions both in the UK and abroad. I am now returning to the Linda Blackstone Gallery where I first started my exhibiting career 35 years ago!
Having always loved to travel, I enjoy frequent trips to France to gather ideas and inspiration which are kept in sketchbooks full of impressions about art, science and the environment. Ideas and images are initially put together with paint and paper collage to create a narrative which may or may not be obvious to the viewer. I then work by hand on the finished piece using a variety of media including both traditional and experimental textile techniques sourcing vintage fabrics and threads and re-using materials wherever possible to create an interesting textural contrast.”