I was born in rural Aberdeenshire and now live in southern Scotland. I have lived in the countryside all my life and and that is my main source of inspiration. I graduated from Gray’s School of Art and continued to make sculpture alongside a successful and rewarding teaching career. I am now able to work full time on sculpture and exhibit regularly.
The garden and the landscape provides endless opportunities for artistic response; my current focus is on points of change - for example: plants at various stages of their life cycle, landscape being shaped by the elements and fragile forms in nature. Natural growth and decay provide inspiration for my work.
I work directly with the raw material after initial drawings. There is a delightful unpredictability in working with ceramics and steel and that forces a response from me. Producing a piece of work is an ongoing dialogue.
My present work combines welded steel and stoneware to create complementary forms.
The ceramic sculptures are formed with the coil and slab method, cut and remodelled then the pieces are fired to 1250o, glazed and cemented together. This will help withstand low temperatures so can be placed outside. The ceramic pieces are glazed with a matt white glaze or coloured oxides to enhance the sculptural forms.