Nature is the source for the images I create. Clouds, leaves, flowers and fauna all make appearances in my work. This focus I attribute to a rural upbringing. Painting en plein air is another method I rely on for sharpening visual perceptions.
Right now, experiments with acrylic gouache on polyester transfer fabric is a perfect way to create interesting source material for collage. Deeply pigmented paint saturates the fabric, and it dries quickly to an almost skin like surface. Charcoal, pastel pencil and ink all work very well for drawing on the surface. These pieces can be cut, drawn on and sewn.
Discovering a new material that leads to new ways of working is always exciting. I encountered this fabric while taking a tailoring course as it is used to transfer sewing pattern pieces to avoid cutting up the whole of the pattern.
I've created a huge pool of source material out of the offcuts. I use them in paintings, for collages and in soft sculpture. Some work reflects landscapes of dense forest shapes or of a tangled garden, while others are otherworldly with unidentified amoeba-like elements, organic and globular.
The work on paper is where you can see these experiments.
I will always celebrate the role of Nature as the essential engine for the planet’s sustainability.