Artist Statement
“Blurring the lines between drawing, painting, sculpture and photography and the multidisciplinary nature of my work are critical facets of my practice. Drawing in two and three dimensions is critical to my work and is used as a means to develop and explore ideas further and as an end in itself."
My ideas are inspired by my immediate environment and in the sounds, language and dynamics of everyday life.
The triggers for my work are constant, repeating themselves through different processes and vehicles, the vehicles change over time so the work looks different but the underlying themes and obsessions are constant.
My work references autobiographical and personal narratives and landscapes found either in ‘place’ or in ‘journey'----
About
I was born in Salford and after a somewhat nomadic early life returned from living in Cyprus and settled in Norfolk where I lived from the age of eight. I am the middle child and only daughter of five children born from an English/Irish mother and Greek Cypriot father.
I studied Fine Art at Leicester Polytechnic under the tutorship of Harry Thubron who was an inspirational and innovative teacher and whose philosophy and broad based teaching has had a lasting influence on my own approach and rationale. After my first degree I studied sculpture at Manchester Polytechnic and obtained an HDA postgraduate qualification and and later achieved an MA in Fine Art from the University of Salford.
In 2001 I was awarded a bursary for a 2 year sabbatical from my lecturing post at The University of Salford which enabled me to take up an honorary research position at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, USA.
I have had a long standing career in academia having taught in higher education for most of my professional career lecturing at Manchester Metropolitan University (third year tutor BA hons Photography), I.M.Marsh John Moores University (second year supervisor and art tutor in Education) and University of Salford ( Fine Art and Three Dimensional Design BA Hons) as well as holding permanent positions at Cumbria College of Art, Mansfield College of Art and West Cheshire College and invited as a visiting lecturer at a large number of Universities and Colleges throughout the UK.
I am a member of the Contemporary Glass Society, a professional group of glass artists and my work is also supported by the Craft council London on its archive of professional artists and designer/makers.
After a life working in Academia I returned to live in Norfolk and focus on my own work.
Exhibitions
I have exhibited my work in Europe and the USA and extensively in galleries throughout the UK including:
Bluecoats gallery, Liverpool | Reynold gallery, Manchester Polytechnic | Museum of Modern art, Oxford | Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield Two Artists with Dave Buss | Holden Gallery, Manchester Polytechnic | Usher Gallery, Lincoln, Two Artists with Dave Buss | Graves Gallery, Sheffield Solo exhibition | State tower, Columbus, Ohio, USA | The Battelle Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio, USA | United Christian Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, USA, Solo exhibition | Gallery 200, Columbus, Ohio, USA | Gallery Merlo, Amsterdam Two Artists with John Marshall | Chapman Gallery, University of Salford, Two Artists with Cameron Scott | Hamilton Gallery, London | Diablo Glass, Boston, USA | Stockport Museum and Art gallery | Stanwix gallery, Cumbria | Artizana Art Gallery, Prestbury, Cheshire | Grand hall, Albert dock, Liverpool | Charles Roe House, Macclesfield | Ludlow Open, Ludlow | Cupola Gallery, Sheffield | Recycled by Design Guildford House Gallery, Guildford, Invitational exhibition | Salford Museum and Art Gallery | Warrington Museum and Art Gallery, Prize winner | ‘6.3x5' Manchester Two Artists with Ian Rayer-Smith | The Parsonage, Didsbury, Manchester | 'Textures' Contemporary Glass Society.