Book of Leaves In my research into the Japanese traditions of Haiku and Haiga, that have formed a basis for many of my own works, I found out about the book: Man’yoshu. ‘Collection of ten thousand leaves’, it’s a very early compilation of Japanese poems. An unique work of its time. It was the poetic resonance of the title that first struck me, I pictured (maybe too obviously) a tree in autumn. The title of the book can also be interpreted as a ‘collection of ten thousand word

Feathers are magical. Tantalising me, like Icarus, to try to fly to the sun. I find their singularity most interesting, together they become a wing but as an individual thing they are lost and abandoned nothing more than a souvenir from the wing. They visualise the beauty of flight, holding this memory within their spine. Emily Dickinson told us that ‘hope is a thing with feathers’. This poetic thought has followed me throughout my adult life and in my art. I find feathers al

Today I have been further experimenting with glass engraving. I bought a basic Dremel hobby engraver a few years ago and made a couple of framed pieces which really intrigued me. I mounted the glass away from the white background in the hope to capture a shadow and heighten the elusive nature of a transparent image. It worked, a little too well maybe, as once again it’s a piece of work impossible to photograph! (see my attempts). Fast-forward a few years and my thoughts and d

I am very excited to extend the invitation to BV s annual Open Studios event. The details are as follows: BV Studios| 37 Philip Street| Bedminster| Bristol| BS3 4EA April 21 6pm- 9pm (bar till late) come and join the party!!! April 22 11am-6pm April 23 11am-6pm This is your yearly chance to nose around behind the scenes of this surprising and vast warehouse full of creativity. It's not to be missed, so come and say hello #bvstudios #supportyourlocalartist #Art #Bristol #BVStu

I find them everywhere. Even in the most concrete, urban places somehow a stray leaf will have blown my way, giving imperfect balance to my day. As foliage, green, they are a part of the tree; the garden; the woodland; the forest. Fallen, on the ground, they are mementos of what was. The autumn makes this passage of time, the falling becomes a spectacle. The abundance of leaves is an accepted beauty, a time to pause and appreciate nature. Rarely the singularity of a leaf is