about

As a gardener, birds bring companionable joy and solace - a constant source of wonder.

Everyday sightings inspire my etchings - but also fleeting glimpses and odd refrains. Sometimes mesmeric plumage, like a hoopoe taking flight, or a striking call never heard before. 

I draw them in combination with plants, usually trees, from their surrounding habitat. Often the trees are as favoured as the birds - rowans and hawthorns, junipers and terebinth. And then there are orchids and giant fennels: flora that live long in the mind...

I print at home in Hackney, using as non toxic processes as possible with water based ink. For my drypoint etchings, I use foil backed cardboard, incising the drawing into its shiny smooth surface before inking and cleaning in a traditional way. 

For my etchings, I use a copper sulphate solution, again to try and minimise chemical usage. 

Hand made paper is my preference, with its inherent variations, deckle edges and textured material character.