I never stop thinking; my work flows from thoughts that resound through curiosity, imagining, reflection and risk. There is rarely a ‘start’ or ‘finish’, it is a continuous process that responds to what has come before, what is happening in the moment, and where else I feel the work is leading me to. Inspiration flows from seeing, touching and imagining, a particular combination of elements, the way light might fall across a surface, a particular materiality in my hands, a fleeting glimpse that resonates. And sometimes in the night, when my subconscious unlocks visions.
The intricacy of the ritual processes that are at the heart of my making; wrapping, weaving, binding, layering, piercing, knotting, stitching, suturing and burning, means that there is a constant dialogue between what I see, what I touch, and what I feel. Forms are determined by a fragile and tenuous combination of elements; breath, tension, balance and materiality. The burnishing, staining, abrading, shadowing and marking of surfaces continues the dialogue I quietly have with each piece, and that which it has in relation to others within a series.
My relationship with making is visceral… I ‘feel’ where the work emanates from, and is leading, as much as I ‘see’ it. My work challenges, frustrates and intrigues me, and occasionally brings moments of wonder… the intangible made tangible. The rhythms and tactile intimacy of drawing, sculpting, stitching and weaving ground me and bring a sense of peace that is close to happiness.