Material Stories

some pages from my etched book. The patchwork quilt contains my childhood clothes, these images illustrate the fabric and events when I wore it. Other people too. Older work can be seen on above link. Cartoon animation has informed my work for most of my life.

Recent work by graphic novelists and painters inspires me, Marjane Satrapi, Ellen Gallagher and Shannon Bool can make me laugh or cry. Their work is deep.

Headache Corner at Tyntesfield

A double page spread from 'A Conservation Piece' my latest book.

A printed version of the water colour original painted in April 2010, is available.

from my 2010 book 'A Conservation Piece'

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For part of my final degree work I made a site specific project of an artist's response to the huge conservation site at Tyntesfield.


Using watercolour I made paintings of a journey through the house in January with a camera, when all was dark and heavily scaffolded inside and out. Behind the pages I superimposed images of the house in its former glory, sourced from publications on its history. It is a book of 'views through' that also stands up.


As a volunteer who has not seen the house with rooms furnished, I wanted to record some of the furniture and objects as they looked in temporary storage during work on stabilising the house.


For my 'new to the house' view I took photographs of a route that visitors will take and painted from these. A printed version of the hand made book is available to purchase. It will be on view to the public in the upstairs seating area at Tyntesfield from early summer.

pages from my 2009 book "Echoes"

As an illustrator who is interested in objects of the past I make artists books.
Studies for my foundation degree were inspired by Tyntesfield and the more humble house of 1874 in which I grew. The old house was an adventure playground with many rooms and abundant secret places that were carved in wood stone and glass.
For banners to go on scaffolding at the restoration site, with another artist I researched innovations and building methods of the Victorian era; from this a story book evolved, by illustration and comment on this legacy of just past living memory.