I grew up and still live by the sea, in Lowestoft on the Suffolk Coast.

I am inspired by my hometown and surrounding areas; the remnants of a thriving fishing industry, working and industrial landscapes, crafts, trades and a real love for the everyday, people, workers and places.

I graduated in 2000 with a Design Degree, where I specialised in printed textiles. I continued with my own work and became a part-time Drawing and Printmaking lecturer for fourteen years until my circumstances changed. This led me to apply for a place on the prestigious Children’s Book Illustration MA at the Cambridge School of Art, from which I recently graduated.

I am passionate about drawing from observation and the MA taught me to allow my observational eye to work alongside my imagination, this, combined with historical research and the discovery of my own rich sea-faring family history has inspired this body of work.

I am enjoying translating my illustrations into lino, a printing process that allows a real ‘hands on’ approach from the cutting, inking and printing by hand. I hope that my work evokes a sense of place and brings the sights and smells of a hard-working fishing community and my hometown, back to life.

I print at home using my favourite wooden spoon or my new beautiful hand-built wooden press.