BIOGRAPHY

 

My art practice is woven into my everyday experiences and responsibilities as a family woman and art psychotherapist. I view these roles as being rich with the task of making sense and meaning from the wider cultural landscape and see them as a great source of symbolism and influence in my work. There is a strong sense of the natural world in my paintings and animals, trees, flowers and plants observed across time appear again and again in new settings, sometimes taking on a strong sense of character and significance in the work. The thread that weaves through all of my  art making is my curiosity for the role imagery can play in bridging everyday life with more transcendental experiences. In my role as a therapist I am often struck by the large role imagery (both realised and from dream life) plays in the way people process their understandings of the world. I think the relationship between the subconscious realm and conscious action has been explored using mark making from ancient times and I have always loved adding to this human endeavour, whenever and wherever I can,​I like to explore multiple unconventional surfaces for  painting, seeking a language that can carry both the painted image and the character of the surface, using colour, abstract and figurative imagery to playfully travel across canvas, ceramic, patch-worked food packaging, tin and shell. This can be an odd, frustrating but also deeply satisfying exploration, requiring a stance in which neither the surface nor the medium is favoured; both have expression. It reminds me of the type of interpersonal communication that requires each person to practice reciprocity and humility, which I think is fundamental to making gains in understanding and love.​

Please find my CV here​​​​​​