Formerly from the UK I have been long fascinated by Queensland wildlife and the unique light of this part of the world. I was inspired initially to work on calfskin vellum by the works of Rory McEwen and still return to vellum when I feel the need to work in rich saturated watercolour. The rest of the time I prefer the monochrome of silverpoint, graphite and ink which allow me to explore textures and tonal ranges, light and shade.

Most recently I have worked entirely in stippled ink. Using a 0.1mm technical pen I have been creating works composed entirely of tiny dots. This technique dates back to the Renaissance and became extremely popular for medical and botanical illustration because it replicates well in the printing process as well as producing highly detailed results.

In botanical art stippling produces light or dark shading depending on the density of dots in an area, as well as creating detailed textural effects. Needless to say, when working with 0.1mm dots, patience is a necessity!.

In February 2018 I commenced a twelve month residency as Artist-in-Residence at the Brisbane Botanic gardens which was a unique opportunity to engage with the flora and fauna of the Gardens as well as the staff who work there.

Nearly all of the pieces produced during my residency were produced using this stippling technique. The use of minute dots invites the viewer in to more closely engage with the subject matter but they have a symbolic meaning too. Each piece represents a snapshot of a moment or an idea that had its time and will never be repeated and the dots symbolise to me the continuous dispersal and coalescence of carbon atoms in all life forms during the endless cycle of entropy and life.