Colour, place and perception of space are the principal elements of my work as an artist. My visual interest is in the portrayal of the built environment as the landscape of a modern urban society, its’ changing spaces and places, and its’ cyclical regeneration.

My previous career in Surveying and Architecture forms the basis of a long held fascination with our built habitat, and constantly informs what I do. All aspects of our modern environment inspire me, but I particularly like to work on specific sites where a knowledge and understanding of its history and the context of its current state can inform my art
Our urban environment is a dynamic, vibrant place in a constant state of flux and yet buildings are seen as static things – solid and immovable. This dichotomy fascinates me, and reflects my working life, which was initially concerned with this physicality, structure and fabric, and now, has me questioning how we see this environment, and the meanings we attribute it.

I record the physical environment through drawing, painting and photography and then transfer selected images to a computer where they are layered and digitally manipulated. Blocks of colour are “painted” into the piece, detail is emphasised and sometimes perspective is drawn out or elements repeated, playing with depth and pattern.

The final picture may present familiar fragments to spark recognition but skew perception and challenge the viewer to reconsider their surroundings. The completed montage is printed onto a textile surface, which is itself a pliant material, and counters the hard structure of an architectural edifice. The final process of stitching texture and line back into a piece brings out a three dimensional quality, an echo of the source.
Exhibitions and Shows
June 2009   "Urban Fabric" solo exhibition at the Bowery Gallery, Leeds
March 2009   "Material Evidence" exhibition at the Brindley Gallery, Runcorn, Cheshire
October 2008   Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Manchester
September 2008   Saltaire Arts Festival
May 2008   Stroudwater Textile Festival
April 2008   Biscuit factory, Newcastle – Well Thread Textile Exhibition
November 2007    Amsterdam Art fair and Dublin Art Fair
October 2007   Affordable Art Fair- Battersea
July 2007   Canary Wharf - London
July 2007   Art in Action - Oxfordshire
May 2007   V&A gallery Shop – Crafts Council Showcase
March - June 07   Biscuit factory, Newcastle – Spring Show
March 07   Bluecoat Display Centre – “Applied Art and Architecture” Liverpool
Jan 2007   London Art Fair – showing with Briffa
Nov 2006   London Print Studio “All I want” Exhibition
Oct 2006   Origin, London Crafts Fair at Somerset House, London
Awards
2006   Crafts Council – Development Award
2004   Crafts Council – Nextmove
2004 - 2006   2 year residency at Manchester Metropolitan University in the Faculty of Art and Design
Commissions and Clients
October 2008 - January 2009   Private Commission - Large canvas for a domestic interior based on a ruined village in Southern Ireland.
October 2007
  
Corporate Artwork for NESTA, London.
July 2006
Corporate commission for Allen and Overy’s new headquarters in Spitalfields, London.
2.6m x 1m panoramic print and stitch canvas based on the transitional stage of the new buildings development. The key theme was the situation of the building within the historic and dynamic setting of Spitalfields. The imagery focussed on the construction process of the new development, with all its’ concrete core “towers”, cranes and steelwork dominating the skyline. This was a period of transition for Spitalfields, the time between what was and what is now. In the overall lifetime of the place this phase was just a blip, but the result has had a dramatic impact on the character of the area. To record this period was to present the whole picture of the area, and the extent of the change. The piece was based on a combination of photographs and drawings, digitally combined, manipulated and “painted” on the computer.
April 2006
   Public Art Commission for Blackburn NHS Trust. Commission to produce a large 9m long triptych for the main reception area.
    This commission formed part of a 1-year (1day per week) residency in Blackburn. The theme of the piece was to draw from the architectural heritage and topography of the area, looking at changing perceptions of the town. To this end work with the local community was essential to the gathering of information about the character of the area – to create a piece which reflected the people of Blackburn and their perception of place. Group discussions and photographic projects were undertaken with hospital staff, patients and local community groups.
Educational Projects
March - May 2009   Brindley Gallery project with Wade Deacon High School, Widnes. A photography based art project looking at the urban and industrial landscape of Runcorn. The year 10 pupils produced mixed media work for exhibition at the Brindley Gallery in May.
September 2008 - January 2009   Artbeat Project with Allen and Overy Solicitors. 3 month residency at Bethnal Green Technology College working with 14/15 year old pupils to produce work for exhibiiton at Allen and Overy's Canary Wharf Office.
     
Qualifications
2000 - 2003
BA(Hons) Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design - Leeds College of Art and Design
1991 - 1993
MA Architectural Building Conservation - De Montfort University, Leicester
1982 - 1986
BSc(Hons) Building Surveying - Liverpool Polytechnic