The Way Of The Fireflies
Cyanotype with mixed media hand colouring
80 x 140 cm
2018
Since fireflies depend on their own light to reproduce they are sensitive to environmental levels of light and consequently to light pollution. This artwork is my imaginings of these fascinating insects as they would light up the forest around them as they dance through the night to attract each other.
Rejuvenation
Cyanotype with mixed media hand colouring
160 x 140 cm
2017
The power of the earth’s natural environment is resilient yet so elusive. If it’s not cared for, payed attention to, nurtured, it can dissolve and die away. The same can be said for the human spirit. I spend 32 hours a week inside a Maximum Security Men’s Prison. Surrounded by concrete, cameras and metal cages, watched by officers behind glass scrutinizing every move made, my job there is to teach the prisoners art, specifically how to draw and paint. This provides the opportunity to rejuvenate their desire for a good life, to inspire them, to develop a feeling of accomplishment. The purpose for creating art does this and so much more.
A short walk from my home, you can lose sight of anything manmade. Here I witness the rejuvenation of nature; I draw my strength from it. The plants, trees, soil, rocks, the birds, insects, reptiles and animals inspire me and drive me to create. Through a process of observation and connection, I collect pieces from my wanderings, take photos, do drawings in my journal and this evolves through my art practice.
This is something I do to feel the influence of good with the belief that with a considered lifestyle, our urban, natural and spiritual environments will be rejuvenated.
