ABOUT

Statement

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My inspiration is the natural world, material and process, fascinated by lichen, its form and its role as part of the woodland ecosystem and specifically within the New Forest, Hampshire. I am intrigued by how one life form can be sustained from another, circular and constantly renewing. I use traditional paper making techniques to make handmade paper, using Abaca Fibre and discarded waste paper collected from the offcuts of artwork, as well as locally sourced collected and dried natural materials. I embed these into the paper, along with wild woodland seeds. The paper making process is rhythmic and repetitive; Continual and slow. The paper fibres are beaten, pulped and formed into thin sheets with deckled edges. Thin, opaque and fragile. I use papier mâché to build the organic spherical structures using a natural cellulose glue from corn starch, making the forms both sustainable and biodegradable. The inclusion of wild woodland seeds into the paper intends to recreate natural ecosystem cycles; sculptures biodegrade, change form, returning back to nature, regenerating or recycled into something new… an indelible trace of themselves. I combine both traditional red list endangered craft with contemporary paper manipulation, to create delicate organic forms. My ambition is to create an appreciation for paper for its material qualities, often involving the use of the human senses, of sight, touch and smell. Also creating an awareness for consciously made artwork, with nature and sustainability in mind.

Please feel free to contact me with any queries, further information or commissions.

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