Artist Statement

My background is in ceramics, specialising in hand-built sculpture. My work was strongly influenced by the natural world, especially strange and unusual creatures such as bugs and beetles, pangolin, capybara and anteaters. Other work included figurative sculpture including masks and semi abstract forms.
I have lived in Glossop for over 25 years and love hiking and exploring the beautiful landscape of the Peak District. This has led to more abstract sculpture attempting to capture the colours and textures of the environment. The human impact on the area is also of great interest to me. The industrial legacy of mining, quarrying, transport, textile production, agriculture, etc. has left its mark on the natural landscape and is also an inspiration to me.
Coming from my interest in Glossop’s industrial past, I first made slip-cast Glossop bricks, creating sculptures and tea light/cactus holders out of them. As I explored the Peak District I started collecting various found objects which led to my most recent range of mixed media sculptures entitled ‘Naturally Industrial’. These are larger and more abstract, each one comprises found and reclaimed objects along with natural materials from around Derbyshire. I use things like old rusty bolts, screws, wire and metal work from the past and combine them with natural materials such as sheep’s wool and bones, pieces of wood, sphagnum moss, pine cones, feathers and bracken. They are large free standing pieces and are primarily intended for outside display and make eye-catching sculptures for the garden.
This range of sculptural work has developed to include smaller sculptures for inside display, e.g. incorporating house plants, and work that can be displayed on interior or exterior walls. I have also extended my range of sources of materials and recent sculptures include materials from the Shetland Isles and Kent.