In earlier periods of my life I have painted, drawn and also sculpted, but not in the formal sense. When I had small children, (before Jane Asher and her famous cakes!) I ran a novelty cake business designing and making sculptural cakes. I enjoyed putting together a unique and personal edible fantasy, for whoever was the recipient! From the band members of Showaddywaddy to the Bay City Rollers and the Queen’s cousin.
I have lived most of my life in the countryside. Married to a farmer with 3, now grown up children, I spend a lot of my time in the rural environment, observing both domesticated and non domesticated animals. I often find that something quirky, amusing, or characterful strikes me and I wish to capture it in form. I find I can express myself most freely with the three dimensional image. I work mainly in clay and sometimes in wax and will often do “sketch pieces” to see what seems to work from all angles, as essentially sculpture should work in the round.
I aim to develop a portfolio of work of individual pieces .Although animals are my primary subject I am not an animal or pet portraitist. I try to capture the spirit of the subject without always portraying it in a totally literal sense. I hope that my work conveys a mixture of the essence of the subject and a little bit of me! It often has an element of humour in it, but this can often reflect a deeper meaning .I am concentrating now on making larger pieces for outside display in ceramic stoneware.
I have no formal art school training, (except O level art) but have been on many courses with ceramic artists including Brendan Hesmondhalgh, David Cook, and James Oughtibridge. I also did over several years a number of courses in portraiture, life etc at Wensum lodge in Norwich.
I have exhibited for many years at the Royal Norfolk Show in the art exhibition (it is a selected exhibition) I have mostly put in the invited maximum of 6 pieces and usually sell about half of them. I have also exhibited in the past at the wildlife gallery in Lavenham, the Aldeburgh Gallery, Picturecraft in Holt and Cork Bricks gallery in Bungay. where I have often sold my work. I exhibited at the WBA sculpture trails at the Otter Trust at Earsham for 3 years , selling my work in 2 of those 3 years .I am a member of HWAT, exhibiting at their group exhibitions and open my studio to the public each year. This year I am in a hub doing Suffolk Open Studios.