I have always been in awe of the natural world, fascinated by colour, mesmerised by stories and inspired by art. These elements have unavoidably led me to where I am now.
In my head are stories, paragraphs, clichés and visual symbols that make sense of the world I see around me. These are sometimes humorous, often light-hearted, but occasionally they are frightening and nightmarish epiphanies. From totemism to the hybrids of mythology, animals and their essential characteristics have been used throughout history to represent, label and compartmentalise human behaviour and have a special place within folk-tale and fable. Within my work I explore symbiotic, parasitic and predatory relationships between animals and people, real and mythical. I use the behaviour and body language of animals as a metaphor for human psychology, e.g. exultation, indulgence, aggression, fear and powerlessness, transforming my animal subjects into human psychological portraits.
I love the printing process and the layering of colours and images. Spontaneity, mark making, and looseness of line are my trademarks. My printing inks are water based, so dry quickly, forcing me to work in a loose and gestural style. I also love my antique gourd-engraving tool, given to me as a gift by one of my Peruvian teachers. I think this is an important tool for me because it creates the perfect line, scratch, gauge, whatever you might like to call it. It draws well.