I create my marine themed artworks by sewing with fabric scraps onto old discarded sea charts. These discarded elements are sewn together in my studio in Plymouth to create works which tell stories and connect like threads through place and time.
My works depict our fabulous coastal locations, heritage, customs and wildlife. I love wildlife and history and imagining our current lives and experiences through the lens of those who have gone before. The use of charts as the substrate for my artworks connects us with our own memories and bring an immediate context and connection with place.
The charts are all used, and come to me from a variety of sources including leisure sailors, educational and naval establishments, and those connected with harbour and marine management. They often carry marks and scars from their previous lives, and I love that they bring that history to the piece. I’m always happy to accept donations of old charts!
The fabric scraps I use generally come to me from other makers; I use scraps that are too small for any other useful purpose and thus save them from landfill. They are my palette and I add to their varying and layered textures with hand and machine embroidery.
My studio is in the old sea plane hangars at Mount Batten in Plymouth, a stone’s throw from the sea. I am surrounded by all types of water users, ranging from industrial tankers, fishing boats, naval and defence to super yachts and paddleboarders. This ever changing panorama is endlessly inspiring.
My designs are available as originals and prints, and are also printed across a range of gift and homeware items such as cushions, tea towels, coasters, placemats and notebooks.
Commissions for original artworks accepted.
