Visualising Matrescence
Matrescence: the physiological and psychological process of becoming a mother.
The narrative of motherhood is at the core of much of my work.
I use the sea as a visual metaphor to illuminate the metamorphosis of a mother, making motherhood visible through a physical connection with natural materials.
Found objects
Colours on a pebble, Sussex chalk, discarded shells, unusual looking dried seaweed or washed up plastic – all hold the story of our coastline and many find their way into my illustrations.
Cyanotypes
Cyanotype printing is integral to my illustrations. It embeds nature into the narrative.
My work responds to the unpredictable nature of the process, giving an immediate yet ethereal feel to the final exposed prints.
Making Wild Inks
Wild inks move and react with each other in a way that is totally unique and brings such an organic feel to an image.
When I use foraged material to make ink, I’m collaborating with nature.
Their unpredictability and tendency to change over time means they’re a great material for creating visual narratives of our natural world.
Collage
Collage helps me embed stories into my illustrations. Sheet music papers, scraps of material, inked paper, dried leaves – if they hold a narrative, then they earn their place in an image.
Using digital collage, I intertwine handmade textures and inky ‘mistakes’, into conceptual images that pull an audience into the image.