Artist Statement
Each paperwork is a one-off piece, created using papers, painted with watercolour or dye, which are torn and layered and embellished with stitch. My work is about capturing a fleeting moment in time, depicting the essence of something that is caught in an instant, yet in reality remains elusive and ever-changing.
There is something about the light at dawn or dusk, just before the sun appears over the horizon or just after it disappears completely; most sunrises and sunsets are beautiful but very occasionally there is one that is so exceptionally dazzling it leaves an indelible impression on your mind.
I have taken thousands of photos of sunrises and sunsets and am always fascinated by how the light changes in every fraction of a second so that no one image is the same.
These are the images that I build into my work: not an exact depiction of what I see but rather an abstract interpretation constructed through layers of paper and stitch. These imaginary landscapes represent something that doesn’t actually exist and try to make it more tangible.
The Japanese garden design principles of shakkei, the 'borrowed view' and ikedori, to 'capture alive' are integral to my work. I’m intrigued by the notion of the horizon itself – it appears to us as a line when it is our perception or imagination that ‘sees’ a horizon.
The sky is the current focus of my work but there have been many influences and I continue to develop new and different themes. I am inevitably drawn to the subtleties of light and colour and how meaning can alter or be ambiguous.
For me, everything I do is a work in progress; I don’t see an end, just a continuing exploration.