Biography

Artist Statement
My drawings commentate on some of the little absurdities and ironies of the human condition, particularly the circumstances in which some of us find ourselves in London and the South East England commuter belt. 

It has always surprised me what can surface when you draw the mundane aspects of society.  Though a sense of the ridiculous may be the driving force behind the compositions, a sardonic and satirical edge frequently emerges.  I have drawn a collection of poignant, sometimes funny, little pictures that tell a story of our time and try to make sense out of nonsense.  Cartoons provide a degree of simplicity, perhaps naïvity to the work, but there is occasionally a thoughtful narrative lurking.  Most recently I have been spending my time writing poems and illustrating them.

Influences range from the charm and sincerity of medieval illustration to the Neue Sachlichkeit art of Germany in the 1920s, and include some great cartoonists, particularly Saul Steinberg and Edward Gorey.

 
Career Path
Motivated by intrigue and a sense of adventure, I travelled extensively through Communist Eastern Europe and the USSR during the 1980s and early 1990s.  From 1991 to 1994 I lived and worked in Minsk, Belarus, experiencing at first hand the challenges faced by ordinary people in the crumbling Soviet empire. 

On my return to England, I worked at a project for homeless women in Marylebone for 7 years, for 5 of those as manager of a newly established day centre, where art, music and drama were key components in people’s health and well-being. Developing the concept of sacred space, I have run workshops on prayer, painting and meditation. I am a trained spiritual director and currently work at St Pancras Church, where I set up The Crypt gallery in 2002. This has grown to be a popular venue for artists in London.

I also coordinate a small independent charity called PSALM, launched in 2004, which provides workshops for the over 60s, particularly addressing spirituality and ageing.  I am author of the 2003 report for the Diocese of London on developing work with and for older people.

I am based in St Albans and am Director of Crypt Art at St Pancras Church, London

Qualifications and training
2005 - 2009   BA Fine Art (Sir John Cass Dept of Art, Media & Design – London Metropolitan University)
2003  City & Guilds Certificate in Providing Therapeutic Activities for Older People (Royal Hospital, Chelsea)
2000 - 2002  Post Graduate Diploma in Theology (Heythrop College – University of London)
1986 - 1990  BA Russian and Soviet Studies (School of Slavonic & East European Studies - University of London)

Selected Exhibitions and Prizes
Oct 2011 - "Random Thoughts", solo exhibition at the Renfield Centre, Glasgow
Dec 2010 - "Merged Stories", Real World Gallery, London E1
Sept 2010 - Creative St Albans/The Big Project, St Albans Town Hall
June 2010 - The St Albans Festival Exhibition of Art, Sculpture & Crafts
Sept/Oct 2009 - "Herts Open Studios", Ashley Hall, St Albans, Herts
July 2009 Purchase Prize (London Metropolitan University)
Dec 2008 - “Presence” The Crypt, St Pancras Church, London
July 2007 - “The Vanity Show” The Crypt, St Pancras Church, London
June 2004 - “Out of the blue – into the red” The Café Gallery, Mary Ward Centre, London
Aug - Dec 2004 mooredesigns.co.uk (virtual gallery representation)

My work is currently on sale at Art at 88 in Berkhamsted, Herts.

What they taught me at uni