The materials themselves are the main focus in my practice. I concentrate on extending traditional techniques and developing more innovative processes in response to the materials I use. An interest in visual perception has also been an abiding interest and I seek to ask questions of the viewer about how they perceive the ostensibly ‘flat surface’ of my drawings.
This sculptural drawing is from an ongoing series exploring the possibilities offered by using a simple grid form with a monochrome palette, on differing weights and finishes of cotton rag paper. Whilst living in Sicily and Southern Spain, I became interested in the Moorish heritage and Islamic non-figurative art, in particular. I often use a repeating grid structure in my work which can partly be seen as a reference to an interest in pattern/repeated forms found in tiling throughout these regions.
As well as questioning the ‘modernist grid’ and 'drawing' itself, ideas of change and spiritual renewal underpin my work. My drawings explore time, patination and erosion. The way that buildings and much used objects age, weathering and transforming with the passage of time, is a constant source of inspiration. This directly relates to the methods used to make my work, where layers of media are built up, to be abraded, worn through in various ways, and perhaps removed or overlaid yet again, mirroring the passage of time and giving glimpses of the unfolding story of the making of the work itself.