At a young age I enjoyed paper and collage – making old treasure maps, ‘top secret’ manuscripts or vintage posters. I would scrunch, stick and tear the paper, adding to the story of what was later drawn or painted on it.
I always gravitate towards torn billboard adverts and gig posters, especially with areas that are ripped and ragged in shreds, revealing the layers of previous posters, flyers and adverts. The love of texture, layers and the build up of history beneath the surface has stayed with me.
For a long time travelling and surfing gripped my attention entirely, leaving very little room, sometimes literally no room, for a body of work to gather. Along the way I would make a few, sell a couple, leave them where I was, or give them away!
Before being absorbed by photography I didn’t own a camera, every now & then maybe a cheap disposable, so it was rare for me to take a photograph of the work I had done.
So now, with my small studio, I can start creating new work, comfortable with it having a home. My collage work is produced in bouts, often triggered by a shot of inspiration, a chance finding, a new technique, or any number of random events that can spur on some new pieces. Forever in search of finding a way to combine collage and its textures with photographs or drawings.
Holiday – Newquay
Collage pieces using a few photographs taken at Towan Beach, Newquay; combined with vintage, some saucy, seaside images & postcards.
Lockdown Flowers
A series of pieces using photographs taken during the 1st lockdown of 2020.
The 2020 lockdowns cramped everyone’s life to staying indoors, only going out to exercise and get some air. The empty streets prompted me to take some photos in town, but my daily go to walk was down a leafy lane to Newquay boating lake. Springtime 2020 was bright and in full bloom, so I turned my lens towards the flowers and leaves that lined my day to day amble.
The good weather helped, but not being able to go out and do things, coupled with uncertainty, led to it all feeling rather bleak. Depending on headspace, what could be considered a plus was the abundance of time on our hands. That’s when the collection named ‘Lockdown Flowers’ was created using the photos taken on my walks.
Random
Collage/mixed media pieces created at different times.
