My working practise always begins with a biro drawing on a paper notepad. The drawings I produce tell short stories, make glancing observations or document whimsical thoughts. The settings within the drawings are often autobiographical. I draw pictures of my Nans Monkey Puzzle Tree or of the wind turbines in the field behind my Aunties bungalow.
Selected drawings are then recreated through a series of analogue processes. One process involves hand carving the drawings into various wooden surfaces creating a relief. Silicone moulds are then taken and the carving is reproduced in an alternative material. Plaster, Aluminium and Bronze have been used to date. Many pieces have a combination of traditional craft forms, including embroidery, knitting and engraving. A home-made furnace is used to cast several of the smaller components.
Formally the reliefs give subtle nods to British modernism, whilst remaining current in their depictions. They flirt with the ideologies of Erich von Daniken, they imagine electrical pylons taking off for the moon.
The reliefs become like talisman, they act as charms that keep the good spirits in and the bad ones at bay, much like the horse shoe on the garage door or the dream catcher above the bed.