Architectural and Commissioned work

I love working to commission and for public art settings because I can make things that are to a larger public, both in content and location. My work aims to be colourful and uplifting, and I have enjoyed working in diverse locations, including housing estates, hospitals and other public settings. The key to a successful commission is good consultation. I try to include people in the whole process of creating a work of art as much as possible. Most of my commissions have involved community groups in various ways, in the form of consultation sessions, presentations and practical workshops.

I specialise in ceramics, tiles and mosaics in indoor and outdoor settings. Ceramics are very suited to public settings, because they are tough, easy to clean and maintain, and vandal-resistant. Knowing my materials is important to me. Because I hand-make most of my pieces, I can obtain both bright and subtle colours to suit any design. However, my practise has included working with other materials as well. As a qualified landscape designer I know how to integrate work into outdoor settings. My work is suitable for entrance areas, gardens, murals, paving, in fact anywhere a durable, tactile and colourful surface is required.

Developing a design ideally is a dialogue between the client and me. I take great care to create work that will fit well within its surroundings, that looks as if it is meant to be there. For most of my commissions I have worked as part of a team with other professionals such as architects, landscape designers and building contractors. 

I am committed to creating art that is fit for its purpose, relates well to its location, and is seen as an asset by the people for whom it is created.

 

Ceramic Animals

Cats and Dogs are our companions. For many people they have become members of our family. We cannot help but imbue them with human qualities. I do not want to judge whether this is good or bad – I just want to point to it with humour and a sense of fun.

The cats are more abstracted in a way – a cat is a cat. I know there are different breeds, they can be long or short-haired and have different colours, but they are more or less the same size and shape, and behave in similar ways. My cats are generally pretty upbeat. They are independent and solitary, and they could survive without us. They are harder to read than dogs, but possess a self-contained beauty. They add a decorative quality to our domestic environments, in the way they move and how they look.

The dogs are more soulful. Here I had to be more specific – there are so many breeds to choose from and they vary so greatly that a visitor from outer space would not be able to tell that they all belong to the same species! I chose French Bulldogs and Pugs because they are toy-like and their flat faces make them look particularly human. They are social animals like us, and probably see us as dogs in a similar way as we see them as humans. They are more realistic and wear human clothing. They are definitely male or female. Their eyes are human eyes.

My cats and dogs are meant to be sculptural companions, to add a lively element to the room in which they are placed, and to put a smile on our faces when we see them. They can be a pet where we cannot have pets – and they do not need feeding!