Artist Statement
I have always been a maker. My practice as an artist and weaver is in direct response to nature and my environment. Being at one with nature aligns with my identity and sense of place here on the planet.
It was mentioned to me recently that the very fact that I am working with nettles, promoting them as a fabulous benefit to the environment, as an amazing source of fibre for cloth making and for the benefits to our personal health when ingested is no mere coincidence. How is that I ask, because life is not an easy road to travel, we get stung ‘metaphorically’ speaking and we have to deal with the pains inflicted whilst the benefits of navigating life continue to unfold.
Yes, I have had my fair share of stings inflicted!
Having surpassed unimaginable grief I spend my days healing and creating peace and harmony on the planet that uplifts and feeds my soul and others.
Nature provides the healing answers and by choosing to walk and work the circular route I make sense of my world. I continue to learn and understand the cycles of life, seasonal patterns of regrowth and symbiotic benefits of the end-of-life process. It is being at one with the process and resources I choose
that provide me with satisfaction and fulfilment. Through my creative practice in this enlightening time of my life, I actively find healing ways to connect to nature guided by my innate spiritual needs and the beautiful empaths in my life.
For me working with the nettle is symbolic in so many ways; it is a robust wise old plant (Urtica Dioica) that is misunderstood as a weed (what is a weed? A plant growing in the wrong place) and destroyed when not understood. The nettle is magical and holds a sense of mystery, yet its history is impressive and has so much to reveal. The plant compliments our existence here, it is the Yin and Yang to harmonious truth. My study of the nettle over the last five years has convincing credentials of being my best friend.
By immersing my practice in harmony with nature I have learned lessons of understanding, wisdom and peace that manifest in me a mettle character. Daily living and enjoying a green lifestyle I will continue to imbibe all that nature offers as my life mantra has become:
Let the force of nature shape you into a force of nature!
This is my Legacy