Bio

My practice explores the complexities and emotions in connection with ageing and the transitional stages in life. Concepts draw from experience in the care industry, and generally surround areas which I feel are hardly discussed in society. The processes involved are mostly slow and rhythmic, and allow me to engage with and explore my interest in materiality, whilst simultaneously exploring the themes within my practice, and prompting discussion about these. I predominantly work with wool, canvas and thread, though painting has a place both within my work and in the development of it, providing opportunity to play with contrasts and explore the limitations between 'fine art' and 'craft'.

Installation
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, mixed materials including wool, canvas, nylon thread, tracing paper, ink; dimensions vary.

Looking After the Invisible surrounds Margaret- a wife, mother and friend who had moved from her home, into a care home. She, like many others, found this transition challenging, and expressed her desire to return home. As a carer, I hear this, along with other very complex and hard to hear feelings, far too often. I feel although very common, this is both a complex situation, and hardly discussed in society.

Alongside this, Looking After the Invisible aims to bring attention to the lack of support for care homes. They “have gone from being invisible and overlooked, to being in the public eye”. Prior to Covid-19, there was a lack of support for care homes, and this has only become more apparent in the past year. We are all getting older, so I find it hard to understand why, as a society, we do not care.

As lockdown lifts and the world returns to some form of ‘normal’, our care homes cannot be allowed to return to being invisible and overlooked. For the wellbeing of care home staff and so that people like Margaret can live out their last days with dignity, as a society we need to support the care industry, and increase much needed funding to the homes. To read more about this, please click on the link to my website above, or see the accompanying PDF.

Looking After the Invisible- rug tufted telephone expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, rug tufted telephone on wooden table, wool, aida cloth, PVA adhesive, wire, 190mm x 320mm x 250mm
Looking After the Invisible, small-scale stitching inspired by Margaret's quilt expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, canvas and nylon thread, 290mm x 290mm x 1mm
Installation expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, mixed media
looking After the Invisible- painting of Margaret's room expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, oil paint on calico stretched over parts of MDF board, 220mm x 320mm x 10mm
Looking After the Invisible- rug tufted cushion expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, rug tufted cushion on found chair, wool, aida cloth, PVA adhesive, cushion approx. 300mm x 300mm x 150mm
Installation expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, mixed materials including wool, canvas, nylon thread, tracing paper, ink; dimensions vary.
Looking After the Invisible, rug tufted telephone in use expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, rug tufted telephone in use, wool, aida cloth, PVA adhesive, wire, 190mm x 320mm x 250mm
Looking After the Invisible, small-scale stitching inspired by Margaret's quilt expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, canvas and nylon thread, 290mm x 290mm x 1mm
Looking After the Invisible- stitching detail expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, nylon thread, tracing paper and ink on un- stretched canvas, approx. 630mm x 460mm x 15mm
Looking After the Invisible- stitching detail expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, nylon thread, tracing paper and ink on un- stretched canvas, approx. 630mm x 460mm x 15mm
Looking After the Invisible- rug tufted piece expand
Part of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, wool, aida cloth, PVA adhesive, approx. 460mm x 260mm x 20mm
Installation expand
Close-up of Looking After the Invisible, 2021, mixed materials including wool, canvas, nylon thread, tracing paper, ink; dimensions vary.
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Painting - BA (Hons)

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