All my life I have felt a need to work with my hands. As a small child I was a big fan of plasticine but when old enough to be allowed a penknife discovered the joys of carving using balsa wood and driftwood collected on the beach. I trained as a teacher but specialised in Painting and Sculpture, selling works in paint, metal and clay while still at college.
I make pottery in the North Devon slipware style, model in clay and carve wood as well as painting in acrylics. I have also worked for many years teaching Art and Craft in schools and giving lectures on embroidery and basketry. Amongst projects with children I have built giant heads from thermolite blocks and a 'tree of life' from copper pipes and trees made from driftwood. Previous commissioned work includes a heraldic shield carved from oak for a Cambridge boathouse and many small mythological figures in terracotta.
The author of several books on craft, most recently 'Craft Traditions of the World' published by Thames and Hudson, I have built on my love of folk traditions and folk art and this has been reflected in my artwork. essay
The sculptures recently shown at Rosemoor were partly influenced by Ancient Greek herms, carved wooden posts from East Africa and the house posts of ancient Scandinavia and Russia.
