ARTISTS TALKING

I want people to recognise the sentiment of my works, in the same way that they react to an old photograph taken of themselves fifteen years ago, or the smell of a particular fragrance that re-kindles strong emotions.

My medium is that misty haze called print, spilling over in enamel, perspex, drawing, multimedia and occasionally, ceramic. But the medium doesn't really matter.

Over the past three years, I have managed to produce work and get paid for it. Projects have ranged from collaborating with poets in publishing artists' books, to undertaking a sixty-metre-long enamelled artwork for Taylor Woodrow. These seemingly disparate activities with different types of people require the same enthusiasm and patience. Whilst each project has its own time frame and objectives, I enjoy these differences and sometimes deliberately run two or three projects together so that I can play off from these contrasts. The point is that the opportunity and success of these projects is generated by an enjoyment, passion and confidence that creates a roller coaster effect. And although it has worked particularly well in recent years, I haven't changed my practice in the past fifteen years. I am driven by fear, paranoia, an irritating work ethic, an inability to say 'no' (even when I want to and know I should), a need to be successful (am I sure what this means?) and a desire that I could make the work quicker, better, bigger, brighter, louder, softer, lovelier, happier, sadder, cleverer.

The past eighteen months have been particularly exciting. A large show, 'Excessive Pleasures' was launched by firstsite at The Minories, Colchester and toured to Middlesbrough Art Gallery, Buckinghamshire County Museum, The City Gallery, Leicester and The Gallery at Stratford-upon-Avon Leisure and Visitor Centre. The great thing about this constantly evolving show was that I could spread my wings and tell the whole story of how I work, adding new works as the exhibition toured as well as responding to the different contexts in which it was seen. At the same time, I was installed at a sign factory producing ten large vitreous enamel panels on the theme of retail therapy for St Martins Property Company for a site in Lichfield. My current projects are typical of the diverse and challenging nature of my practice. I am producing two book works How to Live a Life with poet Martin Stannard and Gris-Gris' with poet Paul Violi, working on a new body of works for an exhibition at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and collaborating with carver Tom Perkins to produce an enamel sign for Bilston Craft Gallery and Museum.