Hope artist statement
"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” St John’s Gospel
‘Hope’ was created during a hideously dark time in my life. I was working intuitively - pulling out colours and arranging them with no particular end in mind, except that I wanted a strong focal point among the darker shades. As the piece came together I realised that what was emerging was a strong and defiant statement that hope exists even in profoundly tragic circumstances. The yellows and oranges cling on despite the pressure of the darkness around them. I named it Hope. The quote from St John’s Gospel (chapter 1) expresses this truth. It encourages me to strengthen my hope.
Even in the deepest and longest of dark nights, we cling to the knowledge that the dawn will come. The dawn WILL come.
Windows artist statement
When on holiday, whether in England or abroad, I love to seek out old churches. Tiled floors, painted ceilings, perfectly repeating archways, window tracery, gargoyles and gravestones, they all hold a fascination for me. But, above all these, stained glass!
Some years ago, we were in the German Rhineland. My piece is inspired by the beautiful glass I encountered there. Working on this project gave me the excuse to revisit some of my photographs and rekindle my memories.
‘Windows’ is made mostly of scraps of fabric. It thrills me that something so interesting, so new, so ‘more than the sum of its parts’ has been created with left-overs that would usually go in the bin. They have been given new life. This piece, along with 50+ other pieces made by colleagues, has been enjoyed in many venues in Europe and the UK.