Current Practice – Leather
In June 2018 I completed a part-time MA in Design with distinction at the University of the West of England. During this course I made the creative leap into working with a very traditional material, leather, in a fresh, contemporary and unique way.
Drawing on past experiences with printmaking, bookbinding and embroidery I am exploring mark making through the carving and painting of leathers to create distinctive and appealing surfaces.
The simplicity of the process is important to me and I am working in as handmade a way as possible.
“just me, a piece of leather, some lino tools and acrylic paint”.
I spend my time creating a distinctive visual language in my new chosen medium – experimenting with marks, composition and colour, playing with form and layering.
I love the freedom of working instinctively, each mark responding to the presence of what has come before. With my increased emphasis on mark making it is the unexpected and the unplanned that speaks to me most.
That my pieces often become abstracted landscapes speaks as much to the pattern of the marks as to my intentions. The time taken between thinking a mark and making a mark leaves little margin for error, and this is the thrill. However, my inner need for harmony means there is a deeply ingrained subconscious check that ensures a balanced final composition.
I am enjoying this freedom of making with no agenda, not trying to create collections for a specific marketplace. All my pieces are unique, one off creations.
