Most people know me as a sculptor, but I do work in other disciplines.  Overall I suppose my work could be called stylised organic.

For sculpture I usually take botanical or landscape subjects as my starting point.  I make drawings or take photographs and I often use a magnifying glass to really look at patterns and textures of plants, seeds, bark, moss etc.  Then I build shapes in clay or plaster, altering and stylising them as I go until I am satisfied with the resulting form.  On this original I then make a mould for casting into a more permanent material.  Making the mould requires a different kind of craftsmanship, and to me, this is all part of the creative process.  Once the mould is made I cast small, limited editions, usually in cement reinforced with fibreglass.  Most of my work is for outdoor display.

I have been interested in making things since I was a small child and remember fishing clay out of a pond and modelling some rather smelly animals and figures which I gave to my parents.  I went to Saturday morning classes at Art School at 14, and started a foundation course from age 16.  I have always drawn, painted, sewn, potted, printed, soldered and woodworked, but it is only now that the family are fledged that I have the time to concentrate fully on my own work.

My proudest achievement?  One is never totally satisfied with any finished work, but I got the greatest thrill from seeing my 10ft high Fern at Wisley RHS Garden at the very first Surrey Sculpture Society exhibition there in 1994.  It was made in three stacking sections and the headroom of my workshop meant that I could only work on two sections together at any one time.  I didn’t see the whole assembled piece until it was in situ in the garden, and it worked.

My inspiration is found mainly in my garden, but I love woods and trees and Surrey has plenty of lovely wooded areas to wander through.  Apart from woodland, my favourite landscapes are the South Downs, their rolling contours lit by the reflected light from the sea.

I take part in Surrey Artists Open Studios and enjoy talking to visitors, explaining how and why things are made and also visiting other artists and exchanging view and ideas.

I am a founder member of Surrey Sculpture Society and I look forward to meeting and chatting to fellow members at our various exhibitions throughout the year.  I also exhibit as a sculptor with Guildford Art Society and Farnham Art Society, where most of the exhibitors are Painters, so the conversation is different .