My journey through life hasn't always been easy. I struggled with drug addiction for 9 years and at 25 was able to get clean and change my life. What quickly became clear was that I needed to build a life that was so fulfilling I would never be tempted to turn back to addiction. I started experimenting with art during the Covid-19 lockdown and immediately felt a strong connection to the creative process. Having never really considered myself to be a creative person, let alone received any training, I tried to draw intuitively instead of overthinking what I was doing. My initial works were fairly basic, but I quickly started to develop a distinctive abstract style.
My lived experience is that human beings struggle in isolation, but begin to flourish when connected to each other - being able to give and receive energy. The themes of connection and the presence and transmission of energy are consistent throughout my work. I also draw inspiration from nature, in particular the sea. I've always been nourished by spending time in nature and when walking by or swimming in the sea, I feel a deep sense of peace.
All of my work is hand made and when I make print reproductions I choose not to edit out the imperfections. My more complex pieces take upwards of 40 hours to create and I want the prints to reflect the meticulous hand drawn process that goes into making them.
Art has become one of the major passions in my life and as well as being something that I love, it's also an essential creative outlet that helps me stay positive and well balanced.