I am not very good at this news / blogging milarkey, as I am woefully behind with updating this site with the images from my last exhibition. My excuse is that i’ve been moving bit by bit into a new studio space. We are also hoping to move house soon …but that’s another story for another time !!

It’s rather uncanny to say ‘new’ studio - as this quirky space, that is tucked away in a corner of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, is anything but new.

The Old Pay Office dates back to 1754 and was once the work place of Charles Dickens father John Dickens. The vaulted ceiling in the main large office space is magnificent as is the glass sided entrance that runs along the front of the building. A perfect space to take a break with a cuppa.

The consequence of working on the last exhibition Spatial Fragments has meant that i’ve been itching to get my hands dirty with printing ink again. So, moving my things into the studio has been a high priority. Happily, its a fairly functional space now and in fact i’m finding that the space is helping move my ideas onto something new. I think that as an artist the environment around me has always had an influence of some sort. Previously, the garden studio had an influence on the scale of my work. The light is really good there and its a very homely space.

The studio space in the Pay office is a larger grittier more urban space and my instant urge was to work on some larger scale drawings which observe and absorb my surroundings. This process, together with taking my camera around parts of the building, really helped me to look and discover.

Following on from these initial drawings i’ve been reintepreting using quick media such as monoprint, gelli plate drawing and ink drawings. Yesterday I also worked on small collages in the sketchbook. I am enjoying the way the collages collate and explore even further, giving me the opportunity to select marks, patterns and shapes that appeal to me. It’s also a fun way to take risks. These drawings are going to stay in the sketchbook so I can be as experimental with them as I want.

Some Exciting news to end on;

We will be taking part in the POSE Open Studios in October 2024 (at the Pay Office) . More details of this, and who will be opening their studios, to be announced soon.

Starting this week I am taking part in the printmakers Exhibition Small Wonders at the Jack House Gallery. Do join me on Thursday evening at the gallery for the opening event at 6-9. The show will continue to the 15th June and features printmaking from 56 Hampshire based artists.

Fat Clay Pottery Gallery/ shop in Castle Road Southsea has its official launch on Friday 12th July, with an accompanying exhibition of work by local artists. I’m delighted to have some mixed media framed work that will be part of this exhibition. I honestly love all the work that has been selected for this show.