I am fascinated by pattern; especially 1950’s bold retro prints. I make vibrant and lively artwork as an expression of myself. I love fashion; designer, attention to detail and accessorising with fabulous jewellery. I put together my artwork in a creative and fearless manner, playing with clashing colours and mixes of pattern. Fabric is to me like paint to a painter. Cloth bares witness to our lives. It is a powerful unspoken signifer of character, gender, era and financial status. I use fragments of cloth in my work, given to me by friends and family. The fabric recall memories and experience, giving my work a sentimental quality.
I challenge the quality of fabric by carrying out a complex process of layering. The fabric becomes firm and hold its structure. I saturate my work with labour, every section has been touched. Upon closer inspection the work reveals the repetitive processes of cut-work, stump-work, fusing, stiffening, printmaking, bead-work, machine embroidery and hand embroidery. I cut, fold and twist my work by hand, forming a closeness and a relationship with the work. Each of my designs is slightly different from the next. This Intentional gesture portrays my necessity for the appreciation of labour in a world filled with industry and machine.
