I settled in St Leonards on Sea in 2004 after living in Iceland for a year. As well as continuing to paint, I have been developing my skills as a poet. I work as a study skills specialist with neurodiverse students and as a therapist with a particular interest in creativity.
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My art has gone through a number of changes. Some years ago I did a great deal of work around my Jewish origins, focusing in particular on the women in my family, including my mother’s mother who I never met. I made print pieces that layered images from the few photographs I had of my grandmother with old letters, envelopes and photographs of my sister, mother and myself.
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While I lived in Iceland I had wonderful opportunities to explore the landscape on foot and by car. I also flew in a four-seater chartered plane over the desert interior. On my return I used these experiences, incorporating maps and aerial views into my work while developing an original print technique to create images of birds. Although nearly 20 years ago, my experiences in that different world are still informing my creativity; I’m working on a poem series inspired by that time.
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I find the shapes and forms of landscape profoundly engaging. My current explorations by foot along the coast and through other local areas such as the South Downs have moved my work closer to the ground. ‘Fault’, was inspired by one of the dramatic effects of geological change leading to an interest in the concept of geological layers.
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Like previous work, it’s semi-abstract and uses a number of different materials including charcoal, collage and paint. For me, making work is a process of exploring the potential of materials, as well as being sensitive to what the piece itself needs. In this case the work suggested an engagement with the idea of layers both as a reality as a metaphor for hidden experiences and emotions. I’m experimenting with different paint and print techniques in abstract work, using these to find my way back to my current focus on landscape.
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